###

I made it through another week. It was now the week of Thanksgiving. We would have a four day break from the academy. But before that break came Wednesday, pepper spray day. A day I had been dreading like no other. I had hated our CS (tear gas) training and everyone who had previously encountered pepper spray said the pepper spray, also known as OC spray, was much worse.

Almost daily, we were performing scenarios enacted by our squad advisors and overseen by Sgt. Dickens. I was becoming known as a shooter. In one scenario, I was told a fellow officer had entered a home and was not answering his radio. I knocked on the door and heard yelling from inside. I drew my gun and pushed open the door. The officer (a life-like dummy) was lying on the floor, and a man was standing over him and hitting the officer in the head with a bat. I shot and killed the suspect. The scenario was immediately ended and Sgt. Dickens began yelling “Articulate your reasons,” wanting to know why I shot.

I calmly said, “He had a bat. I did not know if the downed officer was dead but he was obviously unconscious. I shot the suspect because I was the only chance the officer had to survive; the suspect had already taken down one officer, and was armed and dangerous.”

Although said grudgingly, Sgt. Dickens replied, “Good job.”

We were always yelled at when we had to defend our decisions. It was part of thinking under stressful conditions. The words “articulate your reasons” were used throughout my academy experience. I learned to articulate very well.

For some reason, I was always justified in my “Kills.” I would articulate my reasons and pass each time. Other cadets would not shoot so fast. Some would even fail the scenario because of this.

During one of these scenarios, a fellow cadet was punched in the eye by our defensive tactics instructor and then when he didn’t lift his hands to defend his face he was punched in the other eye. I don’t mean soft taps here. The cadet had two black eyes for days after the incident. I was not punched because I shot the bad guy (DT instructor) and then defended my decision correctly.

These incidents only seemed to piss my Sergeant off more. I wasn’t sure why, but my fellow cadets laughed because I passed all the scenarios by shooting.

Rocco and I continued to work on POPAT together. I had no doubt he would pass the next testing and his confidence was at its highest point. He had lost over fifty pounds and was kicking my butt in all the physical activities we did.

During these last weeks at the academy things began to get lighter when it came to inspection and penalties for unknown infractions. I no longer had that feeling of dread in my stomach when Sgt. Dickens walked up to our parade deck for morning inspection. We would manage to get through the morning with only twenty to thirty pushups.

I continued to miss Donna and I thought of her often. Rocco and P-Rod became my support. I feel they gave more to me than I could ever return. The three of us were acing our Monday morning tests and Rocco and P-Rod excelling physically at everything put before us. I too was doing better though my body continued to fight me and the four day break coming up would again be one of icepacks and Ibuprofen.

Pepper spray Wednesday rolled around. We were marched out to an area beside the track by the “red shirts.” We had learned during our earlier academy experience with CS gas that these men (officers) in red shirts signified pain. Yes it was necessary, but they seemed to get great enjoyment from what they would be bringing our way.

Pepper spray could not be put off and many cadets had their remedies with them. Small portable battery operated fans, bottles of baby shampoo, and so on. They had been told by previous pepper spray survivors that these items would help with the burning.

We were made to stand and recite our name, police department name and address. During this recitation we were sprayed directly in the eyes with pepper spray. We were then attacked and hit with a square pad held by an instructor. We had to successfully fight the attacker off and then the instructor would back off and grab a weapon. It could be a knife, gun or baton. We would then need to radio our location to dispatch, tell them we were under attack, and identify the object in the instructor’s hand, while he threatened us. Depending on his weapon we would take the appropriate action.

Within ten to fifteen seconds after being sprayed our eyes were swollen shut, and burning like nothing we’d ever felt. We had to use one hand to pull our eyelids apart just to see, and yell the commands into our radios all the while yelling at our attacker to obey our commands.

My turn came and I was sprayed and then attacked with the pad. I used my radio correctly and then I lucked out and my attacker had a gun which I identified. I shot him. My turn was over. I had passed though the pain was not over. I was led by fellow cadets blindly to a water hose and helped to point it into my eyes to thoroughly flush them. I was then left alone, so the cadets could rescue the next victim. My hands and fingers were burning where I’d touched my eyelids. The effects would last for hours.

We were told to be careful when taking a shower that evening and to wash our heads and faces with our bodies standing away from the stream. This kept the pepper spray from running down our bodies and burning everything it came in contact with. Advisers described which body parts would be the most painful if the pepper spray connected. I couldn’t even imagine the spray in that particular area. We were also told to be careful washing our clothing because the pepper spray would reactivate in the wash. I think the worst part was the fact my skin burned for hours. Nothing helped the burning but time. I tried the baby shampoo and even a fan. Time was the cure.

All this torture was life saving preparation. If a suspect managed to get our pepper spray away from us or had his or her own to spray, we needed to know how it would affect us. It was also possible when using pepper spray on a suspect, to have the wind blow it back on us. I now knew the pepper spray was practically incapacitating. If I had to shoot a suspect due to any of these previous scenarios, I could articulate my reasoning due to my experience. This would be the most painful single experience I would have at the academy. I never wanted to be pepper sprayed again.

Thanksgiving break at last. The police department in Small Town, Arizona was having its annual Thanksgiving banquet on Saturday and my husband and I were invited. I was nervous. It would be my first time meeting most of my department, and I worried about what they would think of me.

With a potluck dish in hand, my husband and I arrived and were introduced around to everyone. There was no way to remember all the Officer’s names much less their spouse’s names. The Chief and Sergeant’s wives were great. They were excited to finally be getting a female at the department. The officers stay back. Besides saying a brief hello during introductions they kept to themselves. I was not deterred. I had won over my fellow cadets at the academy and I had no doubt I could get along with the officers I would be working with. The situation would also improve once I was actually wearing a badge.

There would be plenty of challenges coming my way in a department that had never before employed a female cop. But I was looking forward to them. Now all I had to do was finish my last three weeks at the academy.

Cathy Caprino, a career and executive coach doing research on “Women Succeeding Abundantly,”  has run into a little problem collecting data. It seems women aren’t coming clean on their successes.  They’d rather talk about their worst challenges, which they did for her book “Breakdown, Breakthrough.”

Cathy offers up a lot of reasons for women’s reticence on success.  Most centering on society, and in turn women, not deeming it acceptable for women to appear successful.

And since Cathy asks in her Huffington Post article “Women and Success” for others to chime in on women’s success dilemma, I thought I would posit my own explanation.

Could it be that “success” isn’t really a term by which women define themselves? Not because of societal forces or internal fears, but because it doesn’t fit well as a definition for how we feel?  Success is a comparative measure of a person’s outward level of achievement and it is more useful in the business or sports world of men’s life than the daily existence of a women’s life.  In a man’s world, to succeed comes with the completion of an event where you keep score and count results at the end.

But do most women actually see the world around them in terms of keeping score?  Or do we see and live in a world where “challenges” rule our lives and “usefulness” wins the day?  And do we, as the givers of life, count our completions?  Or do we measure our progress and others on a continuum of life?

Maybe the average woman doesn’t identify her own successes in terms of crowning achievements.  But maybe it isn’t such a bad thing either.

“Women’s work is never done” isn’t just the lament of generations of women, it is also a reflection of the reality of our lives and our perspective on life.  As long as we have life, we seem to think there are more things to do.

How else do you explain the overwhelming number of women who, after raising their kids and/or completing a career, go into their “middle-aged” and even “golden years” committing themselves to new careers, ventures, or volunteerism while men at the same age dedicate themselves to golf.  And if women see life as a work in progress, wouldn’t it make sense that we also view ourselves as a work in progress and our “success” on a continuum?

When I think of the women I admire and would like to emulate, I don’t think of them in terms of “successes” and “achievements” though many of the reasons I admire them would probably be listed under those categories on their resume.  I admire them for their level of:

Personal Accomplishments – Of useful knowledge gained and challenges overcome. Rarely grand or showy in nature, but always useful in making life better.

Personal Satisfaction –  Of feeling useful and  sharing accomplishments.

Personal Happiness – Of rejoicing over the gifts in life.

“Success”  and  failure are two sides to the same coin.   Only in a game does something end permanently with clearly defined outcomes and no carry over.  Life exists in a trial and error world, where some things may work better than others but either way the result becomes a part of your world going forward.  You don’t get to hit the reset button.  Yes, mistakes are a key feature of the process. They are our gifts.  They are chance to learn and grow; they are opportunities for further accomplishment; and they are pathways to new horizons.

So here is my hypothesis on why women would rather talk about their worst challenges then their crowning “successes”:

Those “challenges” recounted to Cathy Caprino with such honesty and emotion are how those women see their “successes” –-  those challenges are the proud accomplishments by which they measure their progress and the usefulness with which they want to be recognized by and remembered for.

I know I would, if I were them.

Too often what we carry through life has long ceased to be important.  In our youth, we are strong and resilient and we tend to ignore the excess baggage.  But by midlife, we start to feel crushed by the weight.  Yet we are as much comforted by its constant presence  as we are overwhelmed by having to decide what  luggage to keep and what baggage to shed.

So in the spirit of the new year, a time of reflection and meditation, I offer my list for packing wisely for life.

In Your Luggage For Life
by Linda Anselmi

May you have the Courage to Show Vulnerability
And the Willingness to Honor Imperfection

May you have the Generosity to Extend Compassion
And the Openness to Experience Sorrow

May you have the Eagerness to Embrace Joy
And the Strength to Accept Pain

May you have the Persistence to Uncover Hope
And the Determination to Face Fear

May you have the Boldness to Confront Injustice
And the Humbleness to be Open-Minded

May you have the Honesty to Celebrate Love
And the Respect to Savor Peace

May you have the Heart to Live Authentically
And the Spirit to Live Whole-Heartedly

###

Other posts you may enjoy:

• ~ Susan Boyle and Adapting to Change
• ~ Pondering the Possibilities: Growing Happiness
• ~ For the Joy of Animals: Generational Support

Posters have been up all over town for weeks, but budgets are tight.  Audience members had to forego a few things to get here tonight and there is no extra money for souvenirs or buffalo wings. The mood doesn’t gets any more friendly as it feeds on overpriced popcorn and stale cheetos waiting for the show to begin.  

The star of the show is the first to ride into the arena.  (It’s in his contract to be first.)  Seated confidently upon his expensively dressed and trained show horse, Dressage Rider Gingrich does a victory lap in a high prancing side-step, worthy of an Olympian “10″ for its beautifully arched neck and tail alone.  He shows his star power by throwing in a few loud snorts and head tosses. Suddenly, the spot light shines on the center ring and a hush falls over the crowd.  Horse and rider move as one to execute a series of wild and dramatic kicks to straw man dummies set up in a circle. With a bow to the audience, horse and rider resume the high prancing side-step as they leave the ring. 

Following at a respectable distance behind the wild kicking show horse is Wagon Master Romney.  He sits astride his horse looking tired and dusty.  As wagon master he usually leads the show, but for the first time he’s lost ranking to a star performer.   Standing up in the stirrups he looks back over the wagon train.  Sure he likes to throw a bet down now and then, who doesn’t.  And he’s made some unpopular decisions, who hasn’t.  But, he’s a caring man.  With a tip of the hat to the audience, he sits back in the saddle and trots off to catch up with the lead wagon.   

Fast on the heels of the wagon train come the rodeo cowboys.  Their energy is infectious and the crowd responds in kind.  Riding in every direction at once, they whoop and holler and do riding tricks in rapid succession.  Everyone’s eyes are so busy they don’t immediately see the lanky Texan who lumbers in atop a massive Brahma called “El Fed”.   Bull-rider Paul looks the seasoned professional he is — weathered, tough and fearless.  No one doubts his tenacity or the dangerousness of El Fed, with his fiercely long horns and an iron nose ring.  Everyone keeps a respectful distance as bull and rider plod across the arena.    

Taking a break from shooting a Marlboro commercial (he keeps forgetting his lines), Sheriff Perry ambles in leading his pony.  He polishes his badge and ask the audience to join his posse in protecting the christians and the military.  With a last drag on his cigarette, he flicks it into the sawdust before mounting his pony.  He rears his horse in true Lone Ranger style and, with a wave of his hat to the cheering crowd, wheels around, kicking up dust that only adds to the spreading fire.  Without a look back, he gallops off in search of the lawbreakers of Brokeback Mountain. 

There’s an awkward pause in the show as a General orders a ragtag band of soldiers put out the fire and set up the barrel race.  This used to be when Chieftain Cain raced in with his band of Tea Tribe Indians to do some trick bareback riding and bow and arrow demonstrations before heading after the wagon train with a war-whoop.  At which point General Santorum and his troops would ride to the rescue of the wagon train and reenact the battle of Little Bighorn.  But the Chief left the show after being unseated by the appearance of one too many wayward fillies.   A traveling man at heart, the Chief traded in his teepee for a buckboard, bed roll and the open road where he can sell his books and preach his 999 medicine to new converts while working on a contract to become a media Fox. 

Barrel Racer Bachmann gallops in and executes her turns with speed and precision and even an occasional flourish, but the audience response is tepid.   She can hear the comparisons to the previous barrel racers who were champions with bigger names and bigger personalities.  She started out with the Tea Tribe before Chief Cain joined up and everything went south.  Determined to move out of the shadows, she decides to audition for leader of  the Tea Tribe as soon as she can find a Pocahontas outfit.  

Suddenly a bugle sounds in the distance and a rider thunders into the arena astride a rainbow-colored pony. Could it be… Yes, its Rough Rider Obama and his unicorn pony, Hope.  As the bugle continues to sound, man and pony charge up and down a series of fake hills.  The stirring imagery is only slightly marred by the Rough Riders death grip on the saddle horn.  As they topped the largest hills, a ring of  TOTUS’ drop down.  One smashes Hope’s uni-horn.  Deciding it was the last straw, a broken horned Hope  tries to bucks off a suddenly tenacious Rough Rider Obama before galloping off in search of her long-lost twin, Change.   

The grand finale parade begins to file in, but the audience looks confused and begins to mumble.  Could this really be all there is to the show? They paid good money and ate stale popcorn to see these second-rate acts?  What ever happened to that bear wrestler Marijuana Johnson and  No PAC Preacher Roemer?   At least the last town got to see that Huntsman guy with his singing daughters…

Can this presidential wild west show be saved?  What will it take?  And who can they get at this late date to join the show?

Stay tuned.

Graduation day was only five weeks away. I wish I could say the academy was easier at this point, but it was only getting harder. Sgt. Dickens never thought I would make it this far and now, concerned that I just might make it all the way through to the end, he was out to get me.

Police Chief Varnett and Sgt. Spears from Small Town PD attended an academy luncheon. The luncheon was an opportunity for individual police departments to speak with class Sergeant Dickens about their cadets. We cadets were not allowed anywhere near the event. Later that evening Sgt. Spears called and asked me to meet him outside my dorm. We then went for a long walk.

He began by congratulating me for making it as far as I had. He told me he was proud of my determination. He then dropped the bomb. He and my Chief had been told by Sgt. Dickens that I was not officer material. I was, according to Dickens, physically and mentally unfit to wear a badge. I was devastated.

Sgt. Spears told me Sgt. Dickens wanted me removed from the academy immediately. I held my breath as he continued to talk.

“Suzie, I didn’t have to send you to the academy. I questioned my decision repeatedly but I saw something in you. I see it now. I’ve discussed it with the Chief and he is deferring to my judgment. You’re staying. Be aware your class Sergeant has it in for you and he is not happy with our decision.”

I hugged Sgt. Spears. I could tell he was uncomfortable with my emotion, but he patted me on the back and returned the hug.

“I won’t let you down.” I promised.

We continued to walk, and he asked me questions about my experience. He told me a little about his journey through the same academy. He talked about sneaking out at night and drinking alcohol at the top of the water tower. Alcohol was banned on the college campus and he would have been kicked out of the academy if he’d been caught.

By the time I returned to my dorm, I felt I had a new friend In Sgt. Spears. I knew I was not Sgt. Dickens’ favorite cadet but I felt he had let up on me slightly. I had always thought of myself as a likable person but I realized Sgt. Dickens did not just dislike me, he wanted me out. This was a hard realization but at the same time it just added that extra spark to my determination. I had come too far to even consider quitting and I wanted to be a police officer like nothing I had ever before desired in my life.

During morning PT (physical training), we were now running six miles. Once a week we ran our “personal best.” This is when we would run on our own, not as a group and our times were recorded. My “personal best” time had gotten much better but I continued to finish well behind the rest of the class.

One morning, as I was running alone through our desert trail, I noticed a vehicle parked in the distance. I could see a man looking through binoculars and watching me run. It was Sgt. Dickens. I continued running and actually pushed myself harder. He would not catch me slacking.

I spoke to my squad advisor about the incident and he confided that Sgt. Dickens suspected I was walking when no one else was around during my personal best runs. It was not true and I was pissed off he would think so. It was just another sign of his dislike.

At the beginning of week fifteen, we were told to wear our department uniforms. It was exciting to actually put on my police uniform. None of us looked the same as we did when we started at the academy. We looked like real police officers and deputies, if you looked past the rubber guns in our belts. The “baby” class, class 96, was now allowed to wear their academy polo shirts and it was great to see them out of white shirts and ties.

The first day of week fifteen, Sgt. Dickens came to early morning PT and was waiting for cadets to finish our personal best runs. The entire class had finished but me and I was nowhere to be seen.

I was running focused on reaching the end, when suddenly the rest of the class appeared. I saw them coming and wondered if we were being made to run the course again. But they all turned around when they reached me and started running with me.

Rocco said, “Don’t ask!”

It was impossible for me to run and talk anyway so I continued over the finish line. I later learned that Sgt. Dickens had asked everyone where I was. When informed that I was still running, he started yelling.

“You call yourselves a team? Have I taught you nothing? You left a fellow cadet on her own. What if she’s injured, been bit by a rattle snake? You don’t know where she is or what she’s doing.”

Later at morning’s inspection, Sgt. Dickens told us to march back to our rooms and put on the white shirts and ties we wore when we first came to the academy. We did as told and returned to the inspection deck. We were then told we were not a team and we would walk everywhere through campus holding hands until we were a team. It was never explained what our infraction was and we didn’t ask. We had learned early on that a reason didn’t matter. It always seemed to depend on the Sergeant’s mood.

On lunch break we made our first walk to the cafeteria holding hands. All 26 of us. It was embarrassing but comical as well. I was the most popular person in the class. Every guy wanted to hold my hand. I switched places over the next two days during every formation march. The college students got a big kick out of us. We were kind of like the ROTC and it was fun to reticule us.

I was finally getting a true sense of how incredible my classmates were. It was fun to be fought over during our marches but I was also feeling they wanted me to make it to graduation. I’m not sure when the entire class transformation began but they let me know they were behind me. I might not have been the ideal cadet but I had become one of them and we took care of each other.

As the week progressed I began getting a bad head and chest cold. I was having trouble breathing during any physical activities we were assigned. I wasn’t the only cadet suffering but it was slowing me down physically, which I didn’t need.

Sgt. Dickens again showed up at morning PT and took over our training. He told us we were to run around the track and every cadet was to finish within two minutes or we would start again until we all accomplished the desired time.

I couldn’t do it. I tried. Every cadet would finish and then run back to where I was and cheer me on. My lungs were about to explode, I couldn’t catch my breath and I thought I would die if I did not get air. We ran three laps with me being the only one not to make it within the two minute time.

On the fourth lap something amazing happened. Two cadets ran beside me, lifted me under my arms and began carrying me. They ran about twenty yards and two more cadets took over, and on it went until I was around the track.

I don’t know if we made it in under the allotted time, but Sgt. Dickens told us to change back into our uniforms before inspection and he walked away. Our lesson was taught.

We were a team. And, while I hated being the “weak one,” I was a part of that team and now my academy class had proved it.

###

My story continues with Bad Luck Cadet #19 – Pepper Spray Me, Shoot You

The Iowa State poll of likely caucus-goers has Herman Cain leading at 25%, Ron Paul running a hard second with 20% and Mitt Romney trailing respectably in third with 16%. But the surprise dark horse coming out of the Iowa cornfields is “Can’t Decide” in fourth place beating out “outsider” Rick Perry and straw poll winner Michele Bachmann.  From GlobeGazette’s Poll: GOP race up for grabs in Iowa

“Can’t decide” polled 8.1 percent — more than Texas Gov. Rick Perry (7.9 percent), Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachman (7.6 percent), former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (4.8 percent) and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (4.7 percent). Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who has not campaigned in Iowa, received no support. “Other” polled 5.8 percent.

But with 44 days to go until the Iowa caucus, the race horses are showing the strain…

The now camera-shy and newly protected by Secret Service leader, Cain, seemed off stride and distracted by a higher calling at the Holy Land Experience in Florida on Friday.

“This feels like a pulpit, and I am a preacher,” Cain said from his spot on the auditorium stage. “It’s just a natural thing when I get in this setting.”

Holding strong in second place, Ron Paul’s mild-mannered midnight ride warning of “The Fed” and the debt has won him a loyal following, but it has yet to liberate him from the obscuring fly on the MSM’s lens.

Third placed Mitt Romney, who has been hugging the rails fearful that the careful jockeying of his epic run for the White House may yet slip on the blank pages of his records as governor, slid on Mitt/ObamaCare, or stumble on his unpardonable compassion as a careful leader, has now decided to make a bold play for a strong finish in Iowa by focusing on … the economy.

But smart money is betting on a “Can’t Decide” surge in Iowa, after all ”Can’t Decide” is now running in fourth and is the fallback choice of 22% .

But hard on the hoofs of the Iowa caucus is the New Hampshire primary.  There the race has Romney (29%) and Gingrich (27%) in a dead heat.   But Gingrich seems to be struggling to push past Romney’s well-groomed canter.  Could it be the extra weight of “non-lobbyist” consulting fees for health care and Freddie Mac in his saddlebag?   Not willing to fade away, Gingrich is “Setting the Record Straight” on 16 issues and distinguishing himself as the anti-Clinton candidate (an adulterer, without the perjury).  From Answering the Attacks | Newt Gingrich 2012 :

“he [Gingrich] had admitted to having an extramarital affair during the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.  What these accusers are ignoring is that the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton were due to the fact that the president committed perjury in front of a sitting federal judge, which is a felony.”

The end of the primary race is 8 months away.  Plenty of time for anything and everything to happen.

Will Gingrich continue to rise?  Or will he come up lame like Bachmann, Perry and Cain before him?  Can a long shot still breakaway from the back of the pack?  Will social conservatism be enough to move Rick Santorum ahead?  Has Romney captured too much of the well-groomed Mormon politician vote for Huntsman to become a front-runner or even catch up with main pack?  Will Roemer and Johnson ever get the racing officials to open the gatesand the media to remove their blinders?  Or will they switch fields to run among the Independents and  Libertarians?

Officially President Obama runs alone in the Democratic primary race, but his PAC funding is down.

Earlier this year, Bill Burton left the White House to help create a pro-Obama fund-raising group with a goal of raising $100 million, aiming to mimic the success of recent Republican efforts.

So far, he’s falling short.

Many of the Democratic Party’s biggest donors aren’t planning to support his organization, either because they’re unhappy with Mr. Obama or disillusioned with politics in general. There’s also this fund-raising fact of life: Wealthy donors are more likely to open up their wallets to defeat a sitting president than to protect one.

Anyone else see the shadow racer, “Don’t Want”, flanking both Obama and the Republican pack?  And could “Don’t Want” take the lead in both parties and hold it?

__

There is just something seriously adorable about a baby pig. I don’t know if it is the little grunting sounds…the tiny hoofs…the oversize head…the open curiosity…

###

~ For The Joy of Animals: A Monster To Both Clean and Clear A Room

~ For The Joy of Animals: Super Dog — Naki’o

~ Seeing Things in A New Light: David Vs Goliath

~ Seeing Things In A New Light: Gangs And Little Old Ladies

Hearing and reading about the Penn State horrors and then the “minimum legal requirement” defense of Paterno made me sick to my stomach and seeing red… How can so many apparently smart “successful” people so utterly fail to get it.  Blogger/writer John Scalzi gives a simple explanation of the minimum requirements for humanity in this instant.  From his post Omelas State University:

These things should be simple:

1. When, as an adult, you come come across another adult raping a small child, you should a) do everything in your power to rescue that child from the rapist, b) call the police the moment it is practicable.

2. If your adult son calls you to tell you that he just saw another adult raping a small child, but then left that small child with the rapist, and then asks you what he should do, you should a) tell him to get off the phone with you and call the police immediately, b) call the police yourself and make a report, c) at the appropriate time in the future ask your adult son why the fuck he did not try to save that kid.

3. If your underling comes to you to report that he saw another man, also your underling, raping a small child, but then left that small child with the rapist, you should a) call the police immediately, b) alert your own superiors, c) immediately suspend the alleged rapist underling from his job responsibilities pending a full investigation, d) at the appropriate time in the future ask that first underling why the fuckhe did not try to save that kid.

4. When, as the officials of an organization, you are approached by an underling who tells you that one of his people saw another of his people raping a small child at the organization, in organization property, you should a) call the police immediately, b) immediately suspend the alleged rapist from his job responsibilities if the immediate supervisor has not already done so, c) when called to a grand jury to testify on the matter, avoid perjuring yourself. At no time should you decide that the best way to handle the situation is to simply tell the alleged rapist not to bring small children onto organization property anymore.

It really is that simple.  Like it or not.  Convenient or not.  Costly or not.  Risky or not.  Putting aside the whole issue that with greater power comes greater responsibility, as members of society we owe each other more than the institutionalized morality of the minimum required by law.   We need to stop pretending we don’t see what is right in front of us and start taking responsibility for it.

“The trouble is that once you see it, you can’t unsee it. And once you’ve seen it, keeping quiet, saying nothing, becomes as political an act as speaking out. There’s no innocence. Either way, you’re accountable.”~~ Arundhati Roy

This isn’t about what we want as a society, but what we need.  Morality is the basis of every society.  When we fail to demand this of each other we lose our humanity and we lose our bonds as community.  Look beyond Penn State, the rape and abandonment of those boys, and the powerful men who sold their morality for success  –  our societal bonds are unraveling at the speed of light.  We need to reclaim them.

Uniformed US Army Nurse Corps, US Navy Nurse Corps, Women Assigned to Voluntary Emergency Services (WAVES), and Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.

Back in 2008, when Hillary Clinton was running for president, I came across an old black and white pictorial on American women from the late 1940′s at a used book fundraiser.  Since I was feeling more than a little dispirited over the fate of women at the time, I bought the book hoping for inspiration from the “Rosie the riveter” generation of women.  I was also, I must confess,  intrigued by the title:

“Women Are Here to Stay: The Durable Sex in its Infinite Variety Through Half a Century of American Life”

The author, Agnes Rogers (Allen), denies creating a catalog of womanly accomplishments in her introduction:

“It is my intention to demonstrate that there are a great many different kinds of women…and that it is almost impossible to generalize about them – tempting though it might be…I am not trying to summarize ‘women’s accomplishments,’ since that seems to imply that women have a life of their own apart from the rest of the body politic.”

And yet it is hard not to come away with the impression that the author was, at least subtextually, reassuring women of the validity of their achievements through the book’s title, while staking a claim on as much territory gained by women in the arts, sciences, sports, military, business and politics as possible with the photographic documentation in her book.  After all, why wouldn’t women be here to stay?  And was our durability really in question, when even then women lived longer than men on average?

Most tellingly, “Women Are Here To Stay” was published during an unusual period in American history for women.  By the end of World War II, for the first time, a large portion of middle and upper class women had experienced at least temporary employment outside the home and many in previously traditional male jobs.  Working for pay was nothing new for poor women, of course.  They had always worked outside the home, usually starting at a young age, whenever the need to support themselves and their families arose.

Employment, though, proved to be a difficult transition for many leisure class women.  Not only had the demands of the times and needs of their family, society and the nation required that they rise to the occasion and go to work.  But then, having learned to flex their muscle and harness their intelligence, creativity and endurance in support of their nation’s war efforts and their families survival during the Great Depression, they were forced back to the narrow confines of tending hearth and family when service men returned home following WWII.

But that new found knowledge of their own capabilities along with the sudden loss of freedom left these women with an increasing restlessness to produce something other than just off-spring.

Detroit policewomen 1942

“As job-holder, salary-earner, wage-earner, woman has definitely arrived.  In 1900, there were only a little over 5 million ‘gainfully employed’ women in the United States (of whom about one in seven was married); by 1946 the number had swelled to over 16 million (of whom something like a third were married).  Not only is it virtually taken for granted today that even the daughter of the rich, on graduating from college, will take a job — until she marries…”

And if she didn’t marry?

Ms. Rogers quotes The Ladies’ Home Journal (Sept. 1916):

” …the ambition of every girl who goes into business as a stenographer — provided she has a goal and does not merely regard her position as a means of filling the interim between school and matrimony — is to be come a private secretary… it is about the most agreeable and lucrative kind of position one can hold…”

Sadly, becoming a private secretary was still considered a high level business career path for women in the 1960′s and 1970′s, decades after women had achieved laudable heights in many areas of sports, arts, business and science.

Strangely, the political arena has always gotten short shrift from American women.  Even in 1949, a mere twenty-nine years after American women were granted the right to vote in all national and state elections with the ratification of the 19th amendment, women were struggling to come to terms with the expectations and promise of their vote.

As the author complains:

“The suffrage victory failed to infuse American politics with a new righteousness, as many ardent suffrage orators, in their conviction that women were morally superior to men, had predicted it would.  Nor, for that matter, has there ever been such a thing as ‘the woman’s vote.’  But it was an essential step toward complete recognition that women were people, with all the rights and responsibilities thereof. It failed to fill the country with swarms of professional women politicians, as others had foretold…”

How had such a hard-fought decades long battle for suffrage wrought so little in the political arena?  Why hadn’t a swarm of professional women politicians filled the country?  What went wrong then?  And why has it remained virtually unchanged in the last 60 years?  Did we women have greater fortitude then?  Unity?  Perseverance?  Maybe not as a voting block, but in our determination to make changes?

How can it be that ninety-one years after women got the right to vote in the United States we still have seen no woman in the office of President or Vice-President of the United States?  No where near equal representation of women in Congress or the judiciary.  No equal opportunity for women at the highest levels of business.

Ms Rogers didn’t offer any answers in “Women Are Here To Stay” as to what went wrong politically for women.  And such was my mood  in 2008 and 2009 as first Hillary Clinton then Sarah Palin were mercilessly attacked and vilified (along with their supports) in such misogynistic terms for daring to reach for that highest level in American politics — the White House, that all the other areas of womanly achievement left me with cold comfort.

But strangely enough a recent headline gave me a glimmer hope and got me thinking that Ms. Rogers may have been right to boldly remind everyone of the seemingly obvious.   We are not going to slip quietly back into the shadows.   ”Women Are Here To Stay!”  And this proves it.

Royal succession gender equality approved by Commonwealth: Leaders of 16 nations agree change to allow eldest child to become monarch irrespective of sex

When nations representing 30% of the world’s population, the likes of  Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Belize, St. Christopher and Nevis, St. Lucia, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Papua New Guinea, come to realize that the dictates of tradition just don’t cut it any more.  And that putting women in equal positions of power and leadership is not just morally right, but a way to strengthen and empower their nation…

And when those nations are willing to amend the 1701 Act of Settlement, the 1689 Bill of Rights and the Royal Marriages Act 1772 to give women equal opportunity…

It is the ultimate recognition that women are, indeed, here to stay and will no longer be held “apart from the rest of the body politic.”

So even though we American women face another presidential election with only one woman candidate running for election and history of equality that has been uneven at best over the last ninety-one years…

Even as the push back of women to traditional roles has begun to build  with worries that girls are doing better and graduating in greater numbers than boys…that men are losing jobs at a faster rate than women…that the decline of marriage has strengthen women and weaken men…

And even while legislation in several states is seeking to diminish the personhood of women …

I take heart that the coming decade will be a challenging one.  Because I am betting on the staying power, durability, versatility, adaptability and perseverance of women.   And I think the smart money is betting on us too!

Yes, we women are here to stay!

A howl from the wild side of a puppy
- completely adorable.

###

And yet the power and strength of middle-aged women is growing and spreading everyday across the world. We women are adaptors. It is in our DNA.  With age we manage to develop and increasingly rely on our internal fortitude and conviction to give us the strength to challenge ourselves and anyone else necessary to achieve the seemingly impossible.

But when it comes to physical challenges, we middle-aged women still feel too comfortable in settling for the status quo.

Of course there is always exceptions to every rule. Case in point, author and middle-aged heroine Suzie Ivy — a.k.a. The Bad Luck Cadet .

Not willing to settle into overweight, middle-aged bored housewife obscurity at age 44, Suzie rediscovers a long forgotten dream, and after a broken hip complements of an unruly horse, uncovers her own well-spring of true grit to achieve it. With candor, humor, and unbelievable perseverance, she pursues (and entertainingly shares) her Herculean middle-aged task of surviving a grueling 15 week mental and physical boot camp at the police academy in order to claim the honor and the badge of becoming a police officer for her community in Smalltown, Arizona.

Author Ivy has an amazing gift for getting the reader to laugh, cry, sweat, swear and cringe right along with her own overwhelmingly physical experiences. So be ready for a workout as you root for a women willing to change herself and her life to make the law enforcement profession her own.

Bottom Line:   The Bad Luck Cadet will thoroughly entertain while it gives you a deep appreciation for the rigors of the police academy and the discipline required to be a law enforcement professional. But, best of all, woman or not, the Suzie Ivy will shock, awe and inspire you into re-evaluate your own impossibilities.

(Disclaimers: I was a book reviewer for many years and I have known Suzie Ivy for more than half my life.  The Bad Luck Cadet is posted here at Below The Salt as a series of stories.  But it is now available in Kindle book form from Amazon.)

Go Suzie!!!
###

It is also about a candidates equal opportunity to be heard.  And it is about the absurdity of the entertainment (MSM) industry running our debates and doing a grave disservice to the nation by interjecting their need for profits and placing their goals for providing entertainment above the American people’s need to debate ideas and choose the direction of their country, and their right to select a president.

I’m an Independent, not a Republican.  But with only “The One” corporatist candidate being offered from the Democratic party so far (hint, hint), I’m left to watch the Republican Presidential line up with more than a passing interest.  That is the reality of a two party political system.

The wealth of Republican choices (hint again to the Dems) is to be applauded.  So too is its representational diversity – a woman, an African American, a Mormon, a Texan …

As the media spotlight made the rounds over the last few months highlighting and vetting the declared (Perry, Romney, Bachmann, Paul, Gingrich, Cain, Huntsman, Santorum, McCotter) and undeclared (Christy, Giuliani and Palin) Republican candidates , I watched and waited for them to get around to Gary Johnson former governor of New Mexico (1995-2003).

Johnson was one of the first to declare his 2012 candidacy for President of the United States.  And he has some of the best political ads no one has seen (and yeah, that is him in the ad):

__

So what happened?  How come no one is talking about him?

We live in the entertainment age.  We want showmen.  We also live in the profit age.  The debate sponsors and hosts want viewers and ad dollars.  We live in the media age.  The MSM decided it was of greater benefit to them to invest their time, energy and money in the big name (greater reader/viewership) potentials of Perry, Gingrich, Palin and Christie rather than many actual candidates who put themselves on the line to run.

When CNN’s decided to exclude Johnson in their first debate in June, it effectively shut the door on most media coverage for Johnson.  And yet he still managed to tie with Cain and do better than Huntsman in the late August polls.

Here are CNN poll numbers for their fictional “may be running” 2012 GOP national primary line up without Giuliani or Palin for August 24-25. The trend lines () are from August 5-7, the last week before Perry got into the race.  (pdf)

Rick Perry – 32% (+14)
Mitt Romney – 18% (-5)
Michele Bachmann – 12% (+3)
Newt Gingrich – 7% (-1)
Ron Paul – 6% (-8)
Herman Cain – 2% (-3)
Gary Johnson – 2% (+2)
Jon Huntsman – 1% (-4)
Rick Santorum – 1% (-2)
Thaddeus McCotter – 1% (+1)

Okay.  That was then.  What about now?

According to CNN’s Political Ticker the Criteria for the CNN Western Republican Presidential Debate on October 18^th is as follows:

Participants need to meet the threshold outlined below to receive an invitation to this debate:

A person must receive an average of at least 2.00 percent in at least three national polls released between September 1st and October 16th that were conducted by the following organization: ABC, AP, Bloomberg, CBS News/New York Times, CNN, FOX, Gallup, Los Angeles Times, Marist, McClatchy, NBC, Newsweek, Pew, Quinnipiac, Reuters, USA Today and Time.

Sounds reasonable and fair.  Right?

Now, keep in mind that Palin was never a candidate and yesterday she confirmed that she will not run in 2012 and Thaddus McCotter dropped out last month.

So what did David Weigel in The Gary Johnson Rule: It Lives! find so interesting in last week’s CNN release of its new, post-Fox News debate poll:

Notice any name of those actually running for President in 2012 missing?  Yep.  You got it.  Gary Johnson.  Gee.  Fair much?  The American people deserve better than this.  And we should demand it.  Agree with Johnson or not on the issues, he is a registered candidate and deserves to be a part of our debate — until the American people say otherwise.

You can learn more on Republican/Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson here or with these in-depth articles:

Gary Johnson, Republican Presidential Candidate – Politics: GQ

Gary Johnson 2012: Who Is He, and What Is His Platform? – International Business Times

###

Multi-purpose monsters are always a wise investment. Particularly when, with an inadvertent flick of a switch, the monster has the power to both clear and clean a room.

Every home should have a vacuum monster!!
####

Change is a fact of life.  It routinely happens without our knowledge.  And it frequently happens without our consent. The best we can hope for is to not be caught totally unaware and that the timing at least manages to work in our favor.

Which is why, I am sure, Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point continues to be so popular.  It helps explain how the little things that slip by unnoticed can act like a virus spreading and infecting other change agents until change becomes an epidemic that suddenly consume everything in its path.

…the Tipping Point is a place where the unexpected becomes expected, where radical change is more than a possibility.  It is — contrary to all expectations — a certainty.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, affecting change is not an exact science.  People, business, industries and governments spend vast amounts of money trying to create the change they want — but with mostly limited success.  There are just too many variables to realistically control.  And timing is everything.

Take, for instance, President Obama’s televised speech to a joint session of Congress on Thursday night.

It was billed as a speech to introduce the American Jobs Act — Obama’s (estimated) $450 billion plan for putting Americans back to work through a combination of tax credits, job training and school renovations.  The speech, of course, wasn’t just about jobs for the American people.  With the 2012 presidential election only 14 months away, it was also about Obama’s own job and his future job as president.

But here’s the thing, no matter how well Obama spoke or what strategy or theme he used to rebrand or better position himself for the presidential race ahead and regardless of the talking points coming from the either the right or left in analyzing his speech, Obama’s real fight was and is against the messages and images of him that are already out there.

These are images the American people have had three years to develop and accept.  And these are messages that are now being sung by an ever-widening bipartisan choir.  So when these images and messages are being echoed by his own party members and his most vociferous supporters, it seems reasonable to assume that these images and messages will continue to resonate as truth to the American people.

So what are the Obama messages and images that are now stuck in the hearts and minds of average Americans?

Google helpfully supplied the first clue when I typed in the word Obama the day before his latest jobs speech.  Google search suggested “Obama approval rating” (not good, see below), then “Obama jokes”.  This is rather telling. If the second most popular search on Obama is for jokes about him, then the American people are no longer seeing him as the serious, trusted and capable leader they were led to believe he was in 2008.

If you have any doubt just look at the images and messages being painted by a round-up of polls and articles over just this last week.

From the Pained and Disbelieving:

Obama and Jobs: Why I Don’t Believe Him Anymore  (Matt Taibbi/ Rolling Stone Politics):

So it was either sit underneath a full-volume broadcast of our fearless president [Obama] bellowing out his latest hollow promises, or the hellish alternative: retreat to gates full of screaming five year-old children, all of them jacked up on sugar and bawling their eyes out because it was the end of Labor Day weekend and their cruel parents were dragging them home from Disneyworld.

I ended up choosing the screaming children…

I just don’t believe this guy anymore, and it’s become almost painful to listen to him.

From the Far Less Confident:

The incredible shrinking Obama (Glenn Trush and Carrie Budoff Brown/ Politico)

…voters are far less confident than early months of his administration that Obama possesses the “right set of characteristics” or policy goals to be president, according to the NBC News/ Wall Street Journal Survey.

More than 60 percent of those surveyed say they disapprove of the way the president is handling the economy, according to a third poll – this one by the Washington Post and ABC News – that came out Tuesday.

“The question isn’t what will the speech say. The question is what does he do after the speech is over,” asks a Democratic aide.

From the Strongly Disapproving and Disenchanted:

Obama’s base grows disenchanted (The Fix/ The Washington Post):

On his overall job approval rating, those who strongly disapprove outnumber those strongly approving 36 percent to 23 percent, including 37 percent to 14 percent among independents.

The poll also shows 45 percent of people strongly disapprove of his handling of the economy, including 48 percent of independents.

Another interesting number from the Resurgent Republic poll: 60 percent of people said Obama turned out to be a weaker president than they thought he would be.

From the No Longer Confident:

Only 18% Say U.S. Heading In Right Direction (Rasmussen Report 9/7/11):

Since the third week in July, the number of voters who are confident in the nation’s current course has resembled levels measured in the final months of the Bush administration… 14% to 18%.

Seventy-six percent (76%) of voters say the country is heading down the wrong track…

(Apparently it is hard to keep hope alive when having changed party and presidential leadership from the Republican Bush 43, the American people still find themselves on the wrong track.)

From the No Longer Approving:

Obama Approval Sinks to New Lows in August Among Whites, Hispanics (Gallup)

President Barack Obama earned the lowest monthly job approval rating of his presidency to date in August, with 41% of U.S. adults approving of his overall job performance, down from 44% in July. He also received term-low monthly job approval ratings from both Hispanics (48%) and whites (33%) and tied his lowest rating from blacks (84%).

From the Scared and Hopeless:

Cut to the chase on jobs, Mr. President (The Washington Post):

Right now, there is no light at the end of this collapsing economic tunnel, and we need a president who can at least bring a ray of hope inside the tunnel with us.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m not scared of tough times,” Obama said in Detroit.

That’s a pretty dim ray, Mr. President.

Of course you’re not scared of tough times. What’s to be scared of when you’re fresh from a $50,000-a-week vacation on Martha’s Vineyard? Going to an oceanside villa last month while millions are losing their homes and jobs suggests you don’t know much about these tough times. And stop trying to sound like a Baptist preacher when you say, “I don’t know about you,” least people start to take it literally.

From the Disillusioned and No Longer Defending:

It’s no longer Obama-land in the Hamptons (Post Partisan/The Washington Post)

The Hamptons is where the Democratic energy, money and intellectual firepower of Manhattan goes for R&R. It’s just not another beach.

Over the Labor Day weekend, I went to a number of events in the Hamptons. At all of them, Obama was discussed. At none of them — that’s none — was he defended. That was remarkable. After all, sitting around various lunch and dinner tables were mostly Democrats. Not only that, some of them had been vociferous Obama supporters, giving time and money to his election effort. They were all disillusioned.

Let me call the roll. I am talking about are writers and editors, lawyers and shrinks, Wall Street tycoons and freelance photographers, hedge funders and academics, run-of-the-mill Democrats and Democratic activists. They were all politically sophisticated, and just a year ago some of them were still vociferous Obama supporters. No more.

From the Environmentally Disappointed:

Al’s Journal : Confronting Disappointment (Al Gore):

On Friday afternoon, as brave and committed activists continued their non-violent civil disobedience outside the White House in protest of the tar sands pipeline that would lead to a massive increase in global warming pollution, President Obama ordered the EPA to abandon its pursuit of new curbs on emissions that worsens disease-causing smog in US cities. Earlier this year, the EPA’s administrator, Lisa Jackson, wrote that the levels of pollution now permitted — put in place by the Bush-Cheney administration– are “not legally defensible.” Those very same rules have now been embraced by the Obama White House.

Notice how Gore neatly contrasts and compares the “brave and committed activists” with the (by implication) not-so brave and committed Obama.  Ouch!

From the No Longer Watching:

NBC picks Packers over Obama in Milwaukee:

The NBC affiliate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, WTMJ TV announced yesterday they will not be airing Obama’s jobs speech at 7 PM EST Thursday night.  instead they are opting for their own pre-game coverage of the Packers Saints game scheduled to kick off at 8 PM. Green Bay’s NBC affiliate, NBC 26, will also go with the Packers pre-game show over Obama.

From the Amused and Unenthused:

The irrelevancy of the Obama presidency ( Dana Milbank/Washington Post).

President Obama gave one of the most impassioned speeches of his presidency when he addressed a joint session of Congress Thursday night. Too bad so many in the audience thought it was a big, fat joke…

The lawmakers weren’t particularly hostile toward the president – they just regarded the increasingly unpopular Obama as irrelevant. And the inclination not to take the 43-percent president seriously wasn’t entirely limited to the Republicans…

In fact, the empty seats were on the Democratic side. Democrats lumbered to their feet to give the president several standing ovations, but they struggled at times to demonstrate enthusiasm. When Obama proposed payroll tax cuts for small businesses, three Democrats stood to applaud. Summer jobs for disadvantaged youth brought six Democrats to their feet, and a tax credit for hiring the long-term unemployed produced 11 standees.

From the Substantively Underwhelmed:

The President’s Speech Impediment ( Bill McGurn/WSJ)

In music there’s a saying about a performance that was “too small for the house.” That’s becoming true of the president. There was a day when Mr. Obama’s taste for the marvelous—a campaign address in Berlin, the faux presidential seal, the Greek columns that surrounded him during his speech accepting the Democratic nomination—all seemed to herald something exciting and historic.

Even inside the Beltway, however, substance ultimately tells. Three years into his presidency, the grander the stage the smaller Mr. Obama comes across.

How can any speech move a country to action, when people no longer believe the promises or are even willing to listen to the speaker?  How can a President lead the country in the right direction, when the people no longer agree with his policies and his actions?

How can the Democratic party elites expect the American voters to turn back to a President they no longer trust as the lone beacon for the left — when said beacon has already proven itself to be a sure-fire way to run aground?

It is far too late for Obama to turn our ship of state around.   The tidal wave for change is already in motion.

The Democratic party owes the American people a real choice for America’s president in 2012!

Share your thoughts.

The academy was changing me, physically, as well as mentally.

Physically, I didn’t just have arm bicep muscles. I had muscles in my forearms, thighs and butt. No jello cheeks for that polygraph seat now.

Mentally, I was now seeing things from the “police perspective.”

This was pointed out to me by an old friend I saw during a weekend stay in the city. We went to Starbucks/Einstein Bagels for breakfast. She asked what I would do if someone walked in and robbed the cashier. I told her I would be an excellent witness and observe everything he or she was wearing, along with noticing facial and body features. My friend asked what I would do if I was actually an officer, off duty with my gun. I told her I would do exactly the same thing and I wouldn’t take out my gun unless the suspect started shooting.

My friend was floored. She didn’t understand. I was going to be a cop and she expected me to act like the cops on television. I explained my reasoning. I had to look at the amount of people in jeopardy if I opened fire, the people sitting behind me if the suspect opened fire. The suspect getting away with some cash was very small compared to an innocent person being killed.

I don’t think my friend “got it.” I just looked at things differently now. A motto drilled in to us daily at the academy was to go home to our families every night. Be smart and be safe. Police Officers are not like firemen. When we’re off duty we don’t advertise that we are officers. It’s dangerous.

During those last academy weeks we watched a movie that talks about keeping your family safe and teaching your children to not say anything about you being a police officer. The film shows a boy and his father at a hotel getting off the elevator and seeing two men fighting. The father tries to get his young son back into the elevator when the son says, “Do something dad, you’re a cop.” Both men turn, one pulls out a gun and starts shooting at the boy and his father. End of video.

I think this was something none of us ever thought of. Our children should be proud to have an officer for a mom or dad. In real life, “cop” families don’t advertise who they are. When they are with fellow officers and their families it’s a different story but when not on duty it’s important to remain anonymous.

I see firefighter t-shirts everywhere. I seldom if ever see a police t-shirt unless it’s the rock-n-roll band “Police.”

On the east wall of our academy classroom Sgt. Dickens posted the “Officer Down” memorial page of every officer, in the U.S., that was killed in the line of duty while we were at the academy. Without a word, he would walk into the classroom during our instruction time with the “page” in hand. Silence would descend. With measured dignity, he would post the page and then walk out.

Another officer dead. Another family left to grieve. Fellow police officers across the country left to mourn.

The longer we were at the academy the more pages appeared on that wall. During our breaks we would read the latest officer’s page and mourn in our own way. Two officers died in Arizona during our eighteen weeks. The sadness was overwhelming but until it happened to one of our own I don’t think we understood the sense of loss that we would forever feel.

Four months after we graduated the academy, I got the call at six in the morning. It was from one of the guys I sat with in the classroom.

Through tears he said, “This is Mike, P-Rod is dead.”

My mind didn’t seem to want to process the words.

Deputy Philip Rodriguez (P-Rod as he was known at the academy) was only twenty-one years old and just beginning life, engaged to the incredible young woman he gave his virginity to. He always had a goofy smile plastered on his face. He got a great amount of teasing from his fellow cadets, but he took it all in stride and we loved him. He was the baby of the class and he had so many hopes and dreams for his future as a police officer.

P-Rod was also the incredible young man who ran beside me through all ten punishment hill runs when I was at my lowest point. And he was the one who bolstered my determination when Donna quit the academy.

While crying Mike told me P-Rod was heading to a code-3 (lights and sirens) call, when he lost control of his vehicle and was ejected. He died at the scene.

I stayed on the phone with Mike as we both cried and tried to find some sense in P-Rod’s death. There was none to find, but we needed each other.

I went into work that day to request time off for the funeral. I was asked if I needed to see a counselor and told one could be made available before or after the funeral. I was shocked it was even offered but I would grow to understand what it meant to be part of a police department and wear a badge.

Deputy Philip Rodriguez’ funeral was held in his high school auditorium to accommodate the large amount of mourners. The stands were filled with his high school classmates and friends. On the floor of the gymnasium were hundreds of chairs filled with police officers and deputies from Arizona and surrounding states.

We, his classmates at the academy all sat together. The academy classmates working at his department were his pall bearers. When the service was over we walked up together to say our last goodbyes. We were in groups of three and fours and all holding hands.

When I turned to walk away I saw Sgt. Dickens to my side. He was crying. I let go of the hands holding mine and tightly hugged Sgt. Dickens. The day before graduation he had made us all promise to always wear our seatbelts while on duty. We made our promise. P-Rod broke his promise and you could see the hurt over this young officer’s life in Sgt. Dickens’ eyes.

We walked out to our vehicles to line up for the procession. Mike rode with me.

P-Rod was buried at the top of a hill in a cemetery overlooking the valley. I was about twentieth in line and as we came to a stop at the top of the hill Mike told me to turn and look down the hill. As far as you could see, there were hundreds of police vehicles with red and blue lights flashing.

At the cemetery, all officers lined up to give Philip our last solute. All the drills we had not performed since being out of the academy were used as we were called to attention. Every Officer knew the drill no matter how many years they had been on the streets. We saluted Philip and his family.

We were then told to turn on our portable radios. The dispatcher on duty, during the time of Philip’s death, announced his final call. His “End of Watch” was recognized and his watch was turned over to us. We would take his duty and live up to his dream of what is was to be a police officer.

Philip Rodriquez’ memorial page is at http://www.odmp.org/officer/18852-deputy-sheriff-philip-anthony-rodriguez. Philip’s time as a detention officer before going to the academy is included with his time of service. He held the detention officer job until he was old enough to begin his dream of being an Officer. His time of service as a Deputy was four months.

Yes, I was changing. Even before Philip’s death I was a different person than I had been when beginning the academy. I watched everything around me with a new eye. I had a different perception of the world. I was tougher and more secure in who I was. During those last weeks at the academy the world shifted and I began knowing I had what it takes. This was no longer a whim. This was the beginning of my life as an officer.

###

My story continues with Bad Luck Cadet #18 – The Most Popular Cadet

The movie Wizard of Oz is 72 years old.

 Today, if Dorothy were to encounter Men
with no brains, no hearts, and no courage 
She wouldn’t be in Oz …

She’d be in Congress!

 I immediately wanted to add “Or in the White house!”

Because Dorothy would just as easily find men without brains, hearts and courage in there.  But then I caught myself.  Dorothy may be qualified to be in the White House, but the American people have yet to elect a woman to our highest public office, so poor Dorothy would have to settle for being a visitor for the day.

And, I have to say, as I thought about that visitor status it kind of stuck in my craw.  How can we be the most democratic republic in the world and still manage to not inaugurate a Madam President in our 235 year history.  As a country, we flaunt our equal rights around the globe.  Yet, in a 2008 Pew Poll, the major reason given for women not being elected as leaders of our nation was that the American people were not ready yet.

Seriously?  What is there to ready?

We are historically decades behind the record makers when it comes to women leaders worldwide:

In 1960 Sirivamo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka became the world’s first female elected Premier Minister and in 1974 Isabel Perón of Argentina became the first woman President

1999 Sweden became the first country to have more female ministers than male … and in 2007 the Finish government had 60% women.

Currently there are 30 female leaders in 29 different countries including:

The 12 female Presidents are in Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Finland, India, Ireland, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Lithuania, San Marino and Switzerland.

And 12 woman Prime Ministers; in Australia, Bangladesh, Croatia, Germany, Iceland, Mali, Slovakia, Thailand, and Trinidad and Tobago and in the self-governing territories of Bermuda, Sint Maartin and the Åland Islands.

So how could a woman president still seem too radical a concept for the US, the most advance country in the world, to accept?

It just doesn’t hold water.

Even The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the book on which the movie was based, was written over a hundred and eleven years ago.  Apparently, back then, the idea of a young spunky girl leading a band of misfit men and a dog on a successful mission was not only accepted but celebrated enough to become a beloved classic, and cherished enough by the many generations that followed to become immortalized in a movie.

Just to show how seriously feeble “Not ready” is as an excuse.  Those same 2008 Pew Poll respondents, who perceived Americans were not yet ready for a woman president also perceived that women’s leadership traits met or exceeded men’s leadership traits in seven out of eight categories and women absolutely blew away men in the two most important leadership traits — Honesty and Intelligence.

And still in February 2008 as Hillary Clinton battled Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination only 71% of likely voters said they were willing to vote for a woman president.

So here we are, more than three years later, with a lot of water under the bridge.  Last month, a Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 82% of Likely U.S. Voters say they are willing to vote for a woman president.

Sounds like progress.

Except, that once again we are facing a presidential election with only one woman in the running against a legion of men.  How can that be?  Women have moved into every area of management and executive leadership positions in the US and throughout the world.  The US has one of the highest, if not the highest, educated female population on the planet.

And still we can only produce one female presidential candidate at a time?

For all practical purposes this makes optimists out of the Nearly three-out-of-four voters (73%) now think it’s at least somewhat likely that a woman will be elected president in the next 10 years, although that includes just 26% who say it is Very Likely.

All of this seemed depressing enough for anyone middle-aged that is hoping to see a woman president in their life time.  But the worst was yet to come.  I caught an interview of Dr. Nassir Ghaemi on the Dylan Ratigan show.  Dr. Ghaemi, author of  “A First-Rate Madness” researched the connection between mental health and great leaders and what leadership characteristics were historically needed in times of crisis.  His conclusion?  The greatest crisis leaders had mental health issues and it was their illness that made them great crisis leaders.

From A First-Rate Madness:

… the theme of this book can be stated this way: “The best crisis leaders are mentally ill or mentally abnormal; the worst crisis leaders are mentally normal.”

Why?  Because mental illness made these leaders more realistic, empathetic, creative, and resilient.

I don’t claim depression invariably leads to realism, nor that mania always enhances creativity, nor that depression on every occasion increases empathy, nor that hyperthymia inevitably promotes resilience.  Rather, I argue that, on the whole, more often than not, those mental illnesses enhance or promote those qualities more frequently than is the case in the absence of those mental illnesses.

Without blinking an eye, the panel on the Ratigan show (including one woman) then proceeded to discuss how someone with mental health issues could realistically navigate the political process.  Not one person bothered to point out that if the leadership characteristics that are most needed in times of crisis are those listed above, wouldn’t it seem reasonable to look to see who else in the general population has those characteristics without the baggage and complexities involved with mental illness.  Because it seems to me the answer is glaringly obvious.

Look again at that leadership traits chart above.  Men barely registered while women soared on honesty, compassion and creativity.  Or go back through history and read not just the standard male based text books, but the likes of Resilience and Courage: Women, Men, and the Holocaust by Nechama Tec and Making do: women, family, and home in Montreal during the Great Depression by Denyse Baillargeon and Yvonne Klein.  When you look at each of these moments of great crisis — the Great Depression, the Holocaust, World War I and II — the group in the affected population that best met the tests of those times with the most realism, empathy, creativity and resilience was –

WOMEN!!

And yet, which segment of the population has been mostly excluded from leadership positions?

WOMEN!!

And yet, now we are willing to seriously consider insane men over sane women to lead our country?

Even Dr. Ghaemi points out in his book:

Some people with manic-depressive illness are unrealistic (even psychotic), unempathic, and unresilient.  We shouldn’t romanticize this condition; in its most extreme forms, it is highly disabling and dangerous.

We are truly living in the land of Oz.

Better start looking for a pair of ruby slippers!

***

Where is our strong leader (Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt) able to put aside politics for governance.  A visionary able to see beyond our individual constituencies to seek our common good and unite us in our common goals.

Where is our bold plan that is not left, right, or center — but Main Street American.  A plan that demands and encourages work and innovation.  One that gives us back our American dreams and aspirations.  One that creates the foundation for strong productive lives.  One that launches our best and brightest future.

Where is our unified “we the people” that individually and collectively form the roots of the mighty oak we call our Republic.  A people that are more than their individual constituencies.  Ones that share common goals for a strong and healthy future.  Ones that share common aspirations and dreams for productive lives.   Ones that know that in our unity, we become the trunk of that mighty oak we call the United States of America.

Back in early 2009, I wrote a post on Suggestions for The President:

Personally, I’m just a little frustrated that the American people are not being enlisted as builders of our own future. It’s as if we were the fourth leg on that three-legged stool everyone keeps trying to construct. Only we got thrown out with the packaging materials and the instructions!

I even wrote a little ditty about it:

Waiting Americans
by Linda Anselmi

We can awaken our courage,
And uncover our grit.
We can strap on responsibilities,
No matter the split.

But frustrations are growing,
Despite readying all that we can.
Because we see no real future,
And nary a plan

Those stools don’t need mending,
We can no longer afford such a sit.
America is waiting, Mr. President,
To see where our citizens will fit.

Two and half years later, the American people have read the tea leaves (each in our own way) and gotten the message on our dysfunctional government system.  The latest ABC/Washington Post poll:

Nearly three-quarters of Americans polled said they have little or no confidence in Washington to repair the economy. Confidence is down 21 percentage points from October 2010 and is less than half its 2002 levels. Roughly four in 10 have no confidence at all in the federal government when it comes to dealing with the economy…

Nearly eight in 10 of Americans polled were dissatisfied with the way the political system is working, up dramatically from late 2009. The unhappiness is intense, with 45 percent saying they are very dissatisfied. That feeling is shared widely across party lines.

Right, left or middle, we have stopped waiting and suggesting and started demanding loudly for a leader and a plan.

Small business owner Amilya Antonetti, CEO of AMA Productions, gave a passionate summation of where we are and what we lack in a recent interview with Cavuto on Fox:

I would say that until we get true leadership into this country, true leadership, which means we build a plan that we rely on, the definition of confidence means: “I can rely, right?” I can’t rely on anything, everything so far has been a myriad of lies and manipulation and none of it been true. And this is what the business community has been saying for over a year, over a year, saying we don’t have leadership. There – there isn’t – the information coming from us is – this is what you tell me today and your gonna do something for me different tomorrow…

He [Obama] did [inherit a mess]. It doesn’t matter; I inherit a mess every day as the CEO of my company. Every day I inherit a mess. That is my job title; to fix problems. To get people to work in harmony for one common goal. He can’t get the people in the White House.  I don’t care if you are a red or blue, your job is to make people work together in harmony for one common goal. The common goal is that this country is a safe, secure country to come to; this is the ‘American Dream’. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO OUR COUNTRY? Get these people together, not vacation, and get them around the table, and come up with a plan; understand how you build a plan, what is the plan, what are the steps, how are we going to get there. Why can’t you put together a plan?

Yes, we want a leader and a plan to deal with unemployment, the economy, the housing crisis etc.  But is that enough?

Dylan Ratigan made an impassioned demand for dealing with the larger issue of “the money extractors” first.  Because no matter how bold the plan or how brilliant the idea, nothing will happen so long as the extractors still control the stings of politicians.

(video h/t  C. Della Penna)

“Tens of trillions of dollars are being extracted from the United States of America. Democrats aren’t doing it, Republicans are not doing it, an entire integrated system, financial system, trading system, taxing system, that was created by both parties over a period of two decades is at work on our entire country right now,” said Ratigan. “We’re sitting here arguing about whether we should do the $4 trillion plan that kicks the can down the road for the president for 2017, or burn the place to the ground, both of which are reckless, irresponsible and stupid.

[snip]

It is about one guy.  I would like him [the President] to go to the people of the United States of America and say, “People of the United States of America, your Congress is bought, your Congress is incapable of making legislation on healthcare, banking, trade, or taxes because if they do it, they will lose their political funding and they won’t do it. But I’m the President of the United States, and I won’t have a country that is run by a bought Congress. So I’m not going to work with a bought Congress and try to be Mr. Big Guy … I’m going to abandon the bought Congress like Teddy Roosevelt did, and I’m going to go to the people of the United States get rid of the bought Congress.”

Of course, Dylan’s plan would only work if that “one guy” wasn’t being funded by that same extraction system.

It seems a consensus is forming that Obama is not the leader we were looking for.  Con Carroll of the Washington Examiner points to this telling piece of polling news.

Buried deep in the internals of The Washington Post’s latest poll… troubling news for President Obama’s reelction prospects. Fourty-four percent of American adults, and 46 percent of registered voters, told The Post they definitely will not vote for Obama’s reelection. Only 20 percent of respondents said they deifinitely will vote for Obama in 2012. Thirty percent said they would consider it.

But the 2012 election is coming fast.   Will a leader emerge that is strong enough to put governance over politics?

Will we get a plan that is bold enough to launch our future?

And will ‘we the people’ move beyond party long enough to fight together for our shared future?

Share your thoughts!

If, since 2009, you’ve wondered why President Obama has been such an inept negotiator for the American people?

Why his administration keeps bailing out Wall Street and feeding the military industrial complex or any industry — health care, insurance, auto, mortgage — that comes along with a need or a demand for the taxpayer’s dime, but somehow never manages to bail out the average taxpayer?  Why a President who is a legally trained scholar would continue and even further so many of the Bush policies that undermined and subjugated the civil liberties and personal property rights of the American people?

If, since 2008, you’ve wondered — why Obama?

Why an inexperienced “present” voter was made president during a time of financial crisis?  Why Obama’s records were never vetted?  Why the democratic party broke their own rules to mow down Hillary Clinton, the best qualified presidential candidate for our country and the times?

Then, I’d like to introduce you to Professor Michael Hudson, a financial economist, historian and Distinguished Research Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.  He may have an explanation for not only why Obama was elected, but why Obama is working so hard to make the economy worse for the American people.

According to Professor Hudson the why of Obama is really quite simple.  Wall Street and global financiers have a plan they want to implement.  And that plan needs a depression.

And Obama just happens to be the poser/puppet that will make that planned depression happen.

“The economy is seeking because investors realize that his [Obama's] deflationary attempt to cut public spending looks like a done deal. Trying to run a budget surplus will push the economy deeper into depression. When Clinton ran a budget surplus, the banks provided the increase in credit to keep the economy going. But now they have pulled back, as there is little surplus that has not already been pledged to pay the banks. So Mr. Obama’s advisors have convinced him to do what European political front men also are doing. A depression is deemed necessary to cut living standards and labor by about 30 percent. Mr. Obama’s aim is to lower American wage levels.

To do this, he needs an excuse, a cover story. The reality is that a depression will make the budget deficit even larger. Just as the plans to invade Iraq were written up before 9/11 provided a crisis atmosphere that became the opportunity to introduce them, so the response to the federal budget deficit is already outlined: Social Security and other “entitlements” will be cut back, as well as revenue sharing with the states and cities. So governments at the local level will have to sell of land, roads and whatever is in the public domain. The American government will look just like Greece and Ireland – so you may want to look at them as dress rehearsals.

Cutbacks in federal spending mean that the states can’t cover their own budgets – and their constitutions prevent many from running deficits. It looks like there will be little federal revenue to share with Minnesota or Wisconsin or the city of Chicago. They’re going to have to sell their roads and streets, sell their infrastructure and their public utilities, sell off whatever business enterprises they have that can bring in credit. These assets themselves will be sold on credit, to buyers who then will “expense” their profits as tax-deductible interest. So governments will not get the potential user fees that result from putting up parking meters on their sidewalks, tollbooths on their roads and other rent extraction facilities on their other assets. The financial sector will take all this.

…

It looks like he [Obama] will go down in history as a Herbert Hoover, being blamed for the depression that was not necessary and that the Republicans could not have gotten away with intensifying. Only a Democrat posing as a left-winger could support the anti-labor, anti-wage, pro-Wall Street policies that his advisors have been putting into his hands. This is what came out in the New York Times interview with Sheila Bair.”

Excerpt: Wall Street’s Euthanasia of Industry” transcript (or listen to his whole interview), Guns and Butter interview with Dr. Michael Hudson:

It might be tempting to write off Professor Hudson’s interview as the wild rantings of one man, if it wasn’t for the fact that 25 million Americans are unemployed or can’t find full time work, real compensation is at a 50 year low, and U.S. homeownership rate fell to the lowest level since 1998.

Or, if state and federal governments hadn’t been selling off assets for years.  A Cato Institute paper advocates Privatization by selling off post offices, toll roads, and utilities.   And here are links to reports of recent lease/sales of the Indiana Toll Road, Chicago parking meters and Arizona state capital building to name just a few.  Reading through the details of these deals, it is hard to believe these sales are really in the public’s long-term interest, and yet the pace is quickening and now local governments are joining the sell-off party too.  Of course the government asset fire sales aren’t limited to the US or even Greece and Ireland.   The UK tried to sell Sherwood Forest until citizens stopped it by taking to the streets.

Maybe Professor Hudson’s analysis seems like a belated attempt by the progressive left to join the “birthers” with an anti-Obama conspiracy theory of their own.  Especially, when the likes of Mat Taibbi in his recent Rolling Stone article Debt Ceiling Deal: The Democrats Take a Dive is calling democratic politicians ”…a bunch of hired stooges put in office to lend an air of democratic legitimacy to what has essentially become a bureaucratic-oligarchic state…”

He then goes on to explain:

“The Democrats aren’t failing to stand up to Republicans and failing to enact sensible reforms that benefit the middle class because they genuinely believe there’s political hay to be made moving to the right. They’re doing it because they do not represent any actual voters. I know I’ve said this before, but they are not a progressive political party, not even secretly, deep inside. They just play one on television.

…Who spends hundreds of millions of dollars for what looks, on the outside, like rank incompetence?

It strains the imagination to think that the country’s smartest businessmen keep paying top dollar for such lousy performance. Is it possible that by “surrendering” at the 11th hour and signing off on a deal that presages deep cuts in spending for the middle class, but avoids tax increases for the rich, Obama is doing exactly what was expected of him?”

And Dylan Ratigan in The Real Debt Deal makes the plea that:

American homeowners shouldn’t be under siege by creditor predator banks, and millions of us shouldn’t be unemployed as debt-holders forced into a Survivor-like fight with each other over scraps. We cannot allow giant creditors to turn fights over debt into currency wars, and then into real wars.

But a new world order takeover is not just a theory of the progressive left.  Back in the fall of 2009, Alex Jones released a documentary film called the Fall of the Republic, The Presidency of Barack Obama. It makes many of the same points as Professor Hudson through extensive talks with criminologists, economists, political analysts and the like, but Jones’ movie is considered to be right-winged by many.

At the very least, the idea that anyone would actually plan an economic depression seems too crazy to even imagine.  Main Street America is too busy running the rat race to spend its leisure planning for global events 10, 20, even 30 years in advance.  But then not everyone is busy running with us.  Ever hear of the Bilderberg Group or the Trilateral Commission?

Whether it is truth or just conspiracy theory that President Obama was the poser/puppet needed to bring about a planned economic depression and a new world order, only time will tell. But if we do get a new economic world order out of a planned depression — I can’t help wondering which of us will be left and who will we be serving and how?

If what Franklin D. Roosevelt said was true that “Presidents are selected, not elected,” then wouldn’t it make sense that the presidential selection would be influenced by both parties?  And if there was a conspiracy to put a particular president in office, why would we ever assume the conspiracy ends at one party’s edge?

Share your thoughts!

–

Our republic doesn’t just need equal branches of government, it needs the full weight of a responsible, active, law honoring, and educated citizenry overseeing its representatives and holding them to account for their actions and their ability to uphold the rule of law.

As with all forms of government a Republic has it’s limitations.

A Republic can’t secure individual rights and liberties — without the governed securing its individual responsibility.

A Republic can’t maintain a representative government — without the governed maintaining its personal participation.

A Republic can’t enforce the rule of law — without the governed honoring those laws and hold their representatives accountable to those laws.

A Republic can’t have the informed consent of the governed — without the governed educating themselves and providing sound judgement.

When we collectively fail to do our part for our republic, we open the door to the ruling elite of the Oligarchs.  And they aren’t worried about petty party loyalties.  They have the money to pay both sides to get what they want.

How else do you explain, that in 2008 federal prosecutors officially adopted new guidelines and a “softer” approach to corporate crime that is still in effect today.   Which, not incidentally, is why there have been no real prosecutions of the endemic fraud in both the financial and mortgage industries.

As Wall St. Polices Itself, Prosecutors Use Softer Approach
by Gretchen Morgenson and Louise Story
NYTImes

“Though little noticed outside legal circles, the guidelines were welcomed by firms representing banks. The Justice Department’s directive, involving a process known as deferred prosecutions, signaled “an important step away from the more aggressive prosecutorial practices seen in some cases under their predecessors,” Sullivan & Cromwell, a prominent Wall Street law firm, told clients in a memo that September.

The guidelines left open a possibility other than guilty or not guilty, giving leniency often if companies investigated and reported their own wrongdoing. In return, the government could enter into agreements to delay or cancel the prosecution if the companies promised to change their behavior.“

And the SEC got an early start on the “soft” approach back in 2005, but didn’t make it official until last year.  No wonder Harry Markopolos couldn’t get the SEC to investigate Bernie Madoff for ten years.  They were waiting for Madoff to report himself!

More from Prosecutors Use Softer Approach:

The Securities and Exchange Commission also added deferred prosecution as a tool last year and has embraced another alternative to litigation — reports that chronicle wrongdoing at institutions like Moody’s Investors Service, often without punishing anyone. The financial crisis cases brought by the S.E.C. — like a recent settlement with JPMorgan Chase for selling a mortgage security that soured — have rarely named executives as defendants.

Defending the department’s approach, Alisa Finelli, a spokeswoman, said deferred prosecution agreements require that corporations pay penalties and restitution, correct criminal conduct and “achieve these results without causing the loss of jobs, the loss of pensions and other significant negative consequences to innocent parties who played no role in the criminal conduct, were unaware of it or were unable to prevent it.”

The department began pulling back from a more aggressive pursuit of white-collar crime around 2005, say defense lawyers and former prosecutors, after the Supreme Court overturned a conviction it won against the accounting firm Arthur Andersen. That ended an era of brass-knuckle prosecutions related to fraud at companies like Enron.”

So it is our government’s official policy, under both Bush and Obama, to save corporate brass from the loss of jobs, pensions or other negative consequences. At the very same time “our” government, under both parties, has done nothing to save millions of jobs and homes for average Americans, and now wants to cut “entitlements” for those same average Americans.

Seriously, can it get any clear as to whom our government and both parties considers the boss?

Is it too late for average Americans to reclaim our Republic?

Or have the Oligarchs become too powerful?

Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.  – Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution, 1833

Share your thoughts!

###

Naki’o was only weeks old when he, along with his mother and litter mates, was abandoned in the basement of a home in Nebraska. It was winter time.  By the time Naki’o and his family were discovered and rescued, his mother was dead and Naki’o paws had become frozen in a puddle. Due to frost bite, amputations were necessary on Naki’o's two back paws, front toes and part of his nose and tail.

This would be a tragic tale of irresponsible pet owners and harsh Nebraska winters if the story of Naki’o ended there.  But it didn’t.

Though Naki’o would only crawl along on his stomach to play with the other dogs due to the rounded stumps on his back legs, Naki’o's playful spirit shined through.

A young veterinary technician adopted Naki’o from the shelter, but she wanted to do more.  After seeing another dog with a knee brace, Naki’o's owner decided to hold a fundraiser to get prosthetic paws for his back legs.   Between the generosity of the community and the makers of the prosthetics, Naki’o wound up with a complete set of bionic paws.

 –

So what super powers does Naki’o the Super Dog have?

–

A Will to Thrive

 and 

 A Joy of Life

Thrive, Naki’o, Thrive!!

You can see a more extensive video about Naki’o and pet prosthetic here!

**

Related posts:

~ For the Joy of Animals: Jesse, The Energizer Dog

~ Seeing Things In A New Light: Police Dogs

**

A man can make a million and he is on every page in the morning. But it never tells you who gave up that million he got. You can’t get money without taking it from somebody ~ Will Rogers.

Our monetary system is based on debt (loans).  MONEY = DEBT.  INFINITE WEALTH = INFINITE DEBT.

If greed is good, then so is indebtedness.  You can’t have one without the other.  And, more importantly, the creation of infinite wealth and infinite debt requires a bubble of perpetually accelerating growth, which requires the perpetual use of finite resources, and a perpetual supply of finite debtors.  And, when any one of those factors — growth, resources or debtors — can’t keep up with the wealth/debt demand, we hear a pop.  Then everything gets messy.  While the next bubble starts to form and then expand at an ever accelerating rate, only to eventually pop and …

Which brings us to the obvious fatal flaw in our current monetary system.  It is not sustainable.

And yes, we know it.  We keep seeing the evidence — the Dot-com bubble, the housing bubble.  And still, we continue the insanity.

I recently came across an animated video (below) that explains our money system, its history and the role of bankers.   I hope you will watch it.  It is guaranteed to inform, if not remind you of the shockingly “funny” truth about the debt and money system we live under. (Yes, it is 45 minutes long, but it is fast-paced, straightforward and entertaining.)

You know, I don’t remember being taught that MONEY = DEBT in school.  Or how the bankers have virtually unlimited power to print an infinite supply of money (which requires an equally infinite supply of debt, debtors, resources and growth).  Funny how that simple equation explains so much.

As comedian George Carlin so eloquently ranted (h/t C. Della Penna):

There’s a reason.  There’s a reason for this.

There’s a reason that education sucks, and it’s the same reason it will never ever ever be fixed. It’s never going to get any better, don’t look for it. Be happy with what you’ve got. Because the owners of this country don’t want that. I’m talking about the real owners now, the big, wealthy, business interests that control all things and make the big decisions.

Forget the politicians, they’re irrelevant.

Politicians are put there to give you that idea that you have freedom of choice. You don’t. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land, they own and control the corporations, and they’ve long since bought and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the State Houses, and the City Halls. They’ve got the judges in their back pockets. And they own all the big media companies so they control just about all the news and information you get to hear.

They’ve got you by the balls.

(Video link to Carlin’s full rant against “The Real Owners“)

Yep those comedians sure know how to tell uncomfortable truths.

But are you laughing?

—

Related post:  No Longer Passively Accepting

Politicians dance by in a blur of colors and lights.  Most are shielded from view by a wall of pundits who feverishly describe the glittering mirrored ball overhead while loudly arguing the merits of various champagnes.  We eagerly watch and wait, but no politician swoops in to court us or lead us onto the dance floor.  The most we get is a cheerful wave from across the room.

We try not to worry about the millions of lost jobs, homes, and financial stability.  But we know our history.  Whenever we citizens aren’t married to a champion or even a helpmate in our government, the burdens of the future falls heaviest on us.  That is that future we fear, yet we are not quitters.

We dutifully attend each election dance.  Dressing in our best party clothes.  Seeking the familiar through our party glasses and taking comfort from its rosy hue.  Ever hopeful of finding that special one.  Ever hopeful that this time our love of country will be reciprocated.  Secretly dreaming of a white knight who will ride in and save us.

Too soon the midnight hour is struck.  The music stops.  The pundits fade away.  For the first time we step onto the dance floor, but it is empty.  No politicians remain.  And the cold reality of our fear slowly seeps into our hearts and heads.

The party is over and we are all alone.

In his recent editorial, The real deal on the debt debate, Joe Scarborough points out that congress isn’t being honest with the American people.  But in his list of truths, Scarborough leaves the biggest, most important point buried in the middle and hardly discussed.  Yet, this one truth is precisely why all the other points exist.  It is the reason why all this dancing is required.  It is why the American people will never win.

Both parties and Obama want to must keep Wall Street happy.

That is what the debit ceiling dance is about.  It is what all our political dances have become.  Efforts to keep Wall Streeters and Corporatist happy.  Of course that is no easy task.  They are a fickle, greedy group with no real loyalties.  Just piles of money to buy political power.  So the Democrats, the Republicans, and the president must ever dance to prove their worth and worthiness.

There is no dancing for us, though.  We stop being viewed as potential mates for either party long ago.  We are now the bait.  We are the red meat being staked out to feed the real mates of our parties and candidates – the Wall Street and Corporatist wolves.  Our current debt ceiling debate is just another mating dance to establish who — which party, what candidates — are best able to serve up their read meat constituents to their hungry wolf contributors.

Our government is dancing for the wolves.  And it is the wolves with whom they go home.

Just read the J.P. Morgan’s Eye on the Market report for July 11, 2011:

…profit margins have reached levels not seen in decades

… S&P 500 profit margins increased by ~1.3% from 2000 to 2007.

… reductions in wages and benefits explain the majority of the net improvement in margins.

… US labor compensation is now at a 50-year low relative to both company sales and US GDP(see EoTM April 26, 2011).

…labor compensation is now firmly negative in real terms.

If Main Street Consumers were still the critical factor in the American economy and our body politic, how do we explain this transfer of wealth which started well before the recession, well before the crash of the housing market, and well before unemployment reaching 9%? How do we explain that jobs, the life blood of Main Street America, have yet to be addressed in any serious way?  Why do we hold to account greedy labor and union benefits, but not greedy corporatist and greedy financiers?

 … lingering excess labor supply from the recession is one reason, but the 2 billion people in Asia joining the global labor force over the last two decades is another.  … EM [emerging market] wages for production workers remain well below US levels3.   Another factor helping profit margins: increased US imports of intermediate goods from Asia.

A race to the bottom with wages won’t fix this.  The Philippines have only now reached a whopping 5% of US hourly production wages.  We need to create a manufacturing base in the US and develop a plan and an industry to lead us into the future.  But is anyone talking of a plan?

And what about the debt ceiling debate.  Again, according to the J.P. Morgan report, this is ‘what we know for sure about the US Federal debt ceiling debate’:

The government has already run out of money from traditional sources.  

… since May 16, 2011, the US Treasury has been raiding the cash, securities and borrowing capacity of government employee retirement and other funds.  

Of $270 billion of such balances which existed in May, around 75% has already been used up.

… the present value of unfunded entitlement obligations (e.g., future debt) dwarfs the existing debt.  That’s why there’s so much talk about a deal to stabilize the long term trajectory of the budget deficit.

In whose interest was it to ignore the problem until our government emptied every last bit of taxpayer money out of the coffers.  Could it be the bankers, foreign governments and industries that were fed the 13 – 14 trillion by our government through bailouts and guarantees?  Could it be the military industrial complex, FIRE (finance, insurance and real estate), oil and auto industries who benefit from generous tax breaks, protected status and how we calculate GDP?

Seriously, do you see the American people as the winners here?

And if you are wondering what the J.P. Morgan report predicted for how the debt ceiling dance is going to end?

… We believe that the deal will be composed of 80% spending cuts and 20% revenue/tax increases (rather than 50-50), and will be closer to $2 trillion than $4 trillion. …

Yes, Wall Street and the Corporatist will win again.  They always do.

But when do we stop going to the parties expecting to dance?

###

Returning to my dorm room on Sunday evening was depressing. All signs of Donna were gone. I went in search of moral support. Rocco hadn’t arrived yet. Cadet Rodriguez, known as P-Rod was looking a lot worse for wear. Philip Rodriguez is the cadet who ran my ten punishment hill runs with me and it was hard to be depressed when around him. He’s one of those “Life is wonderful people.” I think I was one of those people before the academy, but the stress was wearing me down. It never seemed to bother P-Rod and I felt lucky to run into him.

He said he got extremely drunk on Saturday night in celebration of his twenty-first birthday and lost his virginity. He was a good looking, hard working guy. He told me he thought he was in love with the lucky girl. I was impressed he’d held out until he was twenty one.

I told Rodriguez about Donna not returning. He told me he had seen my determination that first week at the academy and never doubted I would make it. He said he never saw the same determination in Donna. And when she wrote the famous memo about our Sgt. bothering us during classroom time, he was surprised she hadn’t quit then. He said she didn’t have the nerves to handle the job.

Hangover or not, this young man was wise beyond his years. I would miss Donna terribly, but I was learning daily this job was not for everyone. The other cadet (besides Donna) who shot his SIMs gun at an unarmed man returned to the academy. His department would be informed of his faulty judgment call but they would also let him remain.We had now survived half our training and were down to twenty-six cadets.

Monday we were given our department issue duty weapons minus bullets. These had been kept in the classroom vault. We double checked everyone’s guns, including instructors, to make sure none were loaded. For me, even this small step with guns was huge. I had never owned a gun in my life. Going our with my police department Sergeant before coming to the academy was the full extent of my firearm handling experience.

We spent the day in the classroom learning about our weapons and “dry firing.” This is aiming at a target and pulling the trigger with no bullets in the gun. Different videos were played on the front classroom screen to simulate shooting scenarios. We would shoot our guns at the front screen when appropriate. At the end of the day we were taught to dismantle and clean our weapons. They were then returned to the vault.

We were divided into two groups. Group one would head to the range the next day while group two would stay and have class lecture. I was in the second group. We would alternate activities and days so that each group went to the range twice a week. Range days would start after PT (Physical Training) or DT (Defensive Tactics) and go until evening.

It seemed odd on Tuesday with half the class missing, but it was also very stress free. I was saving my panic for the following day at the range.

Wednesday morning we headed to the range and were issued our weapons and ammunition. Our guns and two extra magazines were loaded. Range rules were drilled into us. If we deviated from a single rule we would be asked to leave permanently. The old “You will be sent home” mantra was back in force.

There were four range instructors for thirteen of us. The instructor assigned to me was becoming frustrated. And so was I. I couldn’t help it. I was not a very good shot. And I was worried that shooting would be the death of my academy experience and my police career.

Lieutenant Hurd was head instructor in charge of firearms training. He stayed mostly on the opposite end of the range. At the end of the day Lt. Hurd pulled me aside and asked how I did.

“With all due respect sir,” I said, “I sucked.”

“You don’t suck and believe me I would rather have a new shooter than someone that is unwilling to learn the proper way of handling a gun. I can mold you into someone that is confident and smart with their firearm.”

I was having difficulty with his assurance. “Honestly I think my biggest problem is being afraid of guns. I don’t like them.”

Lieutenant Hurd laughed and said, “We have a lot in common. I still have a very healthy respect for guns and I’m not a gun fanatic like many officers. I wasn’t raised with guns. In the long run you and I have less chance of having an accidental discharge of our weapons. We always respect them. A little fear is a good thing. Always keep in mind that guns are made to kill. They really have no other use.”

“But if I suck so badly I can’t hit the target, I don’t know what good it will do being armed out on the street. I may be able to hit a vehicle or the broad side of a barn door but that’s about it.”

He laughed again and told me he would help my group come Friday. He said he would fix my problems and not to worry about it. I felt better but was concerned. My fear didn’t seem to affect Lt. Hurd at all. I would try keeping his lack of worry in the back of my mind and think positive thoughts. Yeah right.

On Friday we began with a practice shoot and then were told we would start learning our qualify drills. The instructor from Tuesday stayed clear of me. He was a stereotypical healthy, in excellent shape, clean cut, bigoted cop. The stereotype that had clearly defined ideals of cop material. And I didn’t fit it. My very presence seemed to annoy him and his “type” endlessly.

Lt. Hurd finally came over as promised. He stood beside me and told me I needed to relax as I was shooting. He told me I was jerking off. Was he kidding? Before I could decide to be offended, he explained I was anticipating my shots and jerking my gun. He smiled and said he did not allow jerking off on his range. I smiled and relaxed some.

He asked for my pistol and then asked me to turn around. I did as instructed. After a moment he handed my gun back and told me to face my target again. He instructed me to fire one bullet. I fired. My shot went wide. He told me to fire again. I did. This time the only thing that happened was my hand and gun jerked up but no bullet exited the barrel. I was jerking my hand in anticipation of the gun firing. This was my problem. He had put blanks in my gun to show me. I fired again but didn’t jerk. I hit the target and then hit the target again. The next shot was a blank. My gun did not jerk.

Now that I knew what I was doing wrong and why, I began to improve. When ever I would forget his lesson and my hand jerked, I would hear him shout, “Ivy you’re jerking off on my range again.” It would put me back on target and keep me smiling.

Rocco (nickname, The Rock) was a good shooter and we both began enjoying our time on the range. Again I learned why we did so many pushups. We shot over six hundred rounds every time we went to the range.

The weeks flew by and we were finally at week four, time for our qualifiers. I was improving and consecutively shooting in the 240’s. We needed a 210 to pass with a 250 being a perfect score. Several of the cadets shot 250’s on a regular basis. I passed the day qualify with no problems and was feeling proud of myself. Friday night we would return to the range for our night qualify.

On the day between our qualifiers, we had a lesson in traffic control. It began with a twenty-minute classroom lecture about hand signals. We were then bussed to a major intersection in the city. The traffic lights were turned off along with the crosswalk signals. One by one we were thrown into the street with a traffic vest and a whistle.

Talk about on the job training. The saving graces were the signs posted saying, “Police Training in Progress.”

Each Cadet directed traffic for ten minutes. It took the first five minutes to learn the ropes while traffic backed up. The next five minutes was actually fun. I think a little control created a small monster in most of us. It was comical. Some driver’s just tried to ignore us while others shouted obscenities or laughed out their windows.

I waved cars forward and stopped them at my leisure. A pedestrian dared to cross before I gave him permission. I told him to get his ass back to the curb and I made him stand for an extra minute before giving him the go ahead. He complied which was a smart move on his part. If not I may have taken out my rubber gun and said, “Bang bang.”

We had a few near misses but overall it was a great experience. I always appreciate those comical officers on television that make directing traffic an art form. I was not one of them. But I did get the job done.

After lunch on Friday we headed to the range. There were different scenarios set up and while we waited for the sun to go down we did a lot of tactical shooting, which is running across the range shooting at different targets.

During one test, pylons were set up every six feet. Six small metal targets were spaced twenty feet in front of us, six feet apart between pylons. We could not stop moving between the first two pylons until we hit the first target. We would then move to the next two pylons. Back and forth we ran in a six foot space until that fateful “ping.” For safety’s sake we went through the course one at a time. By the time we were at the last three targets it was easier and our speed picked up. The test was timed and the scores would be added to our overall range rankings.

As hard as I felt some of the shooting tests were by the time the sun went down I was ready to shoot at a non-moving target. I passed with a good score and I was not last. For me this was something to celebrate.

My confidence was increasing and the end to my academy days was in sight. Only five more weeks. I was holding on to my determination for all it was worth.

###

My adventures continue with:  ~ Bad Luck Cadet #17 – The Police Perspective

When we live in a world
That still believes:

That men should lead,
While women should follow.

That men are strong,
While women are weak.

That lust is a natural appetite,
While love is an emotional entanglement.

Is it any wonder that,
In a haze of testosterone induced lust,
Personal gratification becomes the basis of life altering decisions?

~~

When we empower a government
That rewards:

The lust for power,
At the expense of compassion.

The lust for money,
At the expense of honesty.

The lust for eliteness,
At the expense of commonality.

The lust for success,
At the expense of responsibility.

Is it any wonder that,
In a haze of testosterone induced lust,
Assets are protected while people become expendable?

~~

When we create a Society
That teaches:

A lust for immediacy,
Over a love of patience.

A lust for action,
Over a love of reason.

A lust for ease,
Over a love of fortitude.

A lust for conformity,
Over a love of individuality.

Is it any wonder that,
In a haze of testosterone induced lust,
Our virtues are lost and our rules of law are broken?

~~

When we exist in a world
That revolves

In a haze of testosterone induced lust,

Is it any wonder
We all feel violated?

##

Image via Wikipedia

As someone who grew up reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in school, I find myself saddened and conflicted.  While I understand and agree with some of the objections people have over its use in schools, I still find it emotionally stirring when a crowd of people stand up together and give voice to their shared patriotism.

In 1969, comedian Red Skelton gave a deeply moving monologue on his television show explaining the meaning of the words in the Pledge of Allegiance.

With his trademark rumpled hat in hand, Red Skelton starts out humble and funny, but his voice quickly grows with patriotic pride and conviction. He doesn’t just recite the pledge, first he tells a funny and moving story of a teacher’s power to awaken the child and impact the adult. Then he slowly and carefully brings to life every word of the Pledge of Allegiance. He expands their meaning as only a person can who loves the ideals of those word as much as the real object of those words.

Through it all Red Skelton reminds us that while our flag is a symbol, our pledge, our commitment is to our nation and each other.

Powerful political stuff.  And, of course, with power comes controversy.  Which has followed the Pledge of Allegiance from it’s very inception.

Of Equality

Francis Bellamy wrote the pledge as a 15 second standing recital accompanied by a raised arm and hand salute to be given during the flag raising ceremony of the public schools’ quadricentennial Columbus Day celebration in 1892. This was the pledge he envisioned:

‘I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty, equality and justice for all.’

Bellamy, a socialist, wanted to include the word “equality” but knew the state superintendents of education would object. Equality for all would include women who wouldn’t have the right to vote until 1920 and African Americans who would still be legally segregated until 1954.  So equality was out in 1892.

And sadly, nearly a 120 years after the pledge was written, “equality” still isn’t in.

Of Allegiance

In 1924, against Bellamy’s objections, the National Flag Conference with backing from the American Legion and the Daughters of the American Revolution, changed the wording of the Pledge of Allegiance from ‘my Flag,’ to ‘the Flag of the United States of America.’ This was, apparently, an effort to clarify loyalties for new immigrants.

Whether intended or not, the Pledge of Allegiance immediately took on a more hierarchical tone. Ordinary Americans were no longer standing shoulder to shoulder publicly proclaiming their unity and mutual ownership in their flag and republic. Americans were now pledging their support to a separate, higher power from themselves — the United States of America.

Least anyone think the original ‘my flag’ was too socialist in nature, look to the final sentence of the Declaration of Independence.  This was the very last line each and every one of the 56 signatories read and agreed to before inking their name on the document:

“…  And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

The founding father made their pledge not just to a system, a document or an ideal.  They made their pledge to each other.

Of Consent

In the final words of his monologue, Red Skelton voices his concern that Congress’ act of adding “under god” to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954, might cause the pledge to be viewed as a public prayer and removed from our schools. He was right.  The Pledge of Allegiance was dropped from many public schools. But the “under god” was only part of the problem.

There were shades of socialism and fascism in the original “nazi” style “Bellamy salute” which President Roosevelt changed to a hand-over-heart salute in 1942. Then too, there were the never-ending issues of compulsion and consent.

In 1940 the Supreme Court ruled that students in public schools could be compelled to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.  In 1943, the Supreme Court reversed itself concluding that “compulsory unification of opinion” violates the First Amendment.   For children under 18, there can be no consent.  Unfortunately, legal cases are still being made.

I hope the Pledge of Allegiance comes back into favor with the American people.  On a voluntary basis.

It may not be perfect and it is clearly not written in stone.  Maybe it needs to be changed again.  Maybe now is the time to add “equality”.  Or maybe instead of pledging our allegiance to a symbol, we could pledge our allegiance to each other.

After all, the power of the Pledge of Allegiance comes from the voices and the actions of the American people united in their common goals.  An Allegiance that is not given freely and knowledgeably is nothing less then tyranny.

And here is another radical thought.  Maybe, just maybe the important part of our pledge is not not the words themselves, but the American people standing up together — united of their own free will.

So the next time I place my hand over my heart to pledge my allegiance to my country and countrymen, this is what I will be saying – if only to myself:

I pledge allegiance, to the people of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which we stand, as one nation, indivisible, with Liberty, Equality and Justice for all.

****

For those of you who haven’t seen Red Skelton’s Pledge of Allegiance:

_

###

I wish I could say the next two days of Practical tests went as smoothly as the first, but it didn’t. I struggled with two of the scenarios, and completely failed one of them. In the one I failed, I was driving a patrol car and came upon a vehicle pulled to the side of the road with its hood up and a man standing with his head buried in the engine. I pulled over behind the vehicle, activated my emergency lights, and called dispatch with my location.

I approached the man, asking if I could help. He straightened up and began shooting at me with a cap gun. The gun looked and sounded real, which scarred the hell out of me. I stumbled back a few feet trying to remove my gun from my holster as the man continued walking towards me and firing. I probably took six bullets directly to the chest, before my gun was in my hand. I stood my ground, firing two shots, but the guy just stayed where he was firing back at me. I turned to the instructor and said the fatal words, “I’m dead.”

All hell broke loose. Sgt. Dickens was standing to the side of my vehicle, and he blew a gasket.

“You are not dead, you never stop fighting. You’re a fucking loser Cadet Ivy, and I should kick your ass out of the academy right now.”

I stood frozen. I wanted to bury my head in the dirt and cry. Sgt. Dickens told me to get the fuck out of his sight and I left. What a disaster.

I felt I was lucky to even be given a second chance but I was. During the remedial scenario things were changed up. I walked into a “store”, answering a dispatched call for a disorderly female customer. I could see the clerk and problem maker ahead of me but I was stopped by a man coming from behind, placing his arm around my throat, and putting a gun to my head. The disorderly female pulled a gun and shot the clerk. I did as I was trained and grabbed the barrel of the gun at my head, pushing it away from my head, turning in my captor’s arms, shoving him away with everything I had, and then running for cover while pulling my gun.

The significant difference that allowed me to pass the second scenario was running for cover while removing my gun. The first time I had stood frozen while going for my gun and never sought to get away or find cover to continue the fight. In real life I probably had little chance of surviving either scenario but the instructors wanted to see our thought process during the events. Standing my ground and shooting was not what they were looking for.

It wasn’t until I found out that three quarters of the class failed that first specific practical, that I felt somewhat better. I’m surprised Sgt. Dickens had a voice left, apparently he yelled at all of us and threatened to kick everyone out.

My other mistake of the day was missing a small gun while searching a suspect. The gun was on a chain around her neck, in her cleavage. I managed to grab the gun as she was pulling it out to shoot me, but I was pissed off at myself. I had performed a bad search on a female suspect of all things. After that incident, my searches were extremely thorough and I found two additional guns during the following scenarios. One was literally underneath a suspect’s penis. I located it, removed it, and found some satisfaction in shaking everyone’s hand before I was able to wash my hands.

My last scenario on Friday was with simulated weapons (SIMs). A small group of us were waiting outside the driver’s track building and we were able to pick partners. Rocco was in the group so we partnered up. When our turn came we geared up with head, chest and groin protection. I could barely breathe in my face mask. We were also handed SIMs guns with rubber bullets. These guns fire and launch a rubber bullet and leave a colored chalk mark on what they shoot. We were warned it would be painful if we took a hit.

When it was our turn, we walked to the front of the building, and were told to enter the abandoned building to search for a trespassing vagrant. Rocco and I began the search. The building was dark and we used our flashlights. We had our guns drawn, looking and listening, although all I could hear was my loud, too fast breathing. We searched room by room. There was a small closet and Rocco opened the door as I peered inside. My gun came up and I began shouting commands. There was a man standing inside, next to a water heater. He had his weaponless hands, visibly crossed, in front of him. He put his hands up and complied as we talked him out of the closet. The scenario was over and so were the practical tests.

Rocco and I went back to the classroom and it took about an hour for everyone else to finish up. We were all telling each other which tests we had passed and failed. Everyone made mistakes. We were all upset over the pop gun incident and no one felt as if they’d aced it. Donna had not returned and I didn’t find out how she did until we were released, she came in and sat down right before our scolding started.

Sgt. Dickens came into the room after we were all assembled. He was pissed off and stated there were forty three guns missed in searches. He asked everyone that missed a gun to stand up. Everyone stood. Some missed more than one. We were given forty three hill runs to be completed the following Monday.

Sgt. Dickens also told us two cadets shot an unarmed man and these two cadets needed to consider if police work was right for them. He told us in real life the two “officers” would not only lose their police certifications but would be prosecuted for homicide.

The judges next reviewed specific scenarios and we were praised for how we handled ourselves throughout the two days. We were told to be proud of the job we had done. This was hard due to the angry look on Sgt. Dickens’ face.

Donna and another cadet were called to the Sergeant’s office when we were given permission to leave for the weekend. I waited for Donna before taking off. She was crying when she entered the room.

She told me she shot the unarmed man in the closet with her SIMs gun. Sgt. Dickens told both cadets they needed to think long and hard over the weekend about being police officers. I consoled her and said Sgt. Dickens was an ass. We both packed our laundry and took off for our homes.

Donna called me that weekend and told me she was not returning. She was sorry to leave me alone, but she could not take it any more. The thought of being prosecuted for homicide was more than she could take and her mind was set.

My son also announced he had taken a job in Phoenix and would be moving out in two weeks. He barely spoke to me and refused to ask about the academy. I loved him dearly but his attitude hurt. I didn’t know if he would ever see me as my own person and not just his mother. My daughters were both proud of me. Letty, my oldest had announced her wedding date a few weeks earlier. She already had an apartment of her own. Cassie, the youngest, was doing well in her first semester of college. She had left for Tucson when I left for the academy.

With Roger moving out, my house would finally have just my husband and me under the roof. In some ways this was a blessing but it was sad as well. My husband would be alone during my last nine weeks at the academy. I worried about him. He said he would survive but was counting the days until my graduation.

Driving back to the academy that Sunday was hard, and I had a heavy heart. My friend would not be there waiting for me. I cried for her and myself. I realized becoming a police officer was about inner strength. I made the drive slowly not wanting to face my empty dorm room. I still had Rocco and I was determined he would pass POPAT. I was not graduating without him and I planned on graduating.

###

My adventure continues with: ~ Bad Luck Cadet #16 – No Jerking Off on My Range!

Ms. Wards spunky heroine is Jonie Waters, a reporter and woman of action in the best tradition of women’s fiction. She takes responsibility for herself and doesn’t wait around for anyone else to bail her out. As the prodigal daughter forced to return to her home town of Wilmington, North Carolina after more than a decade away, Jonie must face the wounds and the wounded that she left in the wake of her dramatic teenage exit.  But youthful indiscretions take a back seat, when murder, suspicion and a handsome cop start complicating her life on her first day home.

Ms. Ward writes with a practiced eye for detail and builds her connection to the reader with moments of breathtaking clarity and emotional honesty. As an environmentalist, I wish Ms. Ward had presented greater depth and insights into the various environmental issues that arose in Storm Surge.  But as a lover of mysteries, I was more than satisfied.  There is the occasional rough patch which is not unexpected in a debut novel. But, overall, the writing is strong, the plotting is solid, and the main character both appealing and compelling.

Bottom line, Tamara Ward is an author you’ll want to remember and Jonie Waters is a heroine and a series you’ll want to see grow and develop.

###

Monday morning brought our midterms. It would take half the day. We all attended the previous evening’s study session and I had a review at my breakfast table that morning. For the first time two other tables were pushed closer and about half our class participated.

It was long and grueling test, but everyone passed. Cadet Rodriguez actually did very well and was twenty-second in the class. I was ninth and not very happy. Our academic rankings were posted on the wall and I wanted more than anything to be in the top five. I guess I should have been satisfied that at least academically I wasn’t in last place, but I wasn’t.

Tuesday was POPAT (Police Officers Physical Agility Test) and our schedules showed no morning inspection. We were to be at the training field at 0800. We double timed it over to the field.

The Police Officers Physical Agility Test starts with running a ninety-nine yard obstacle course. You next scale a six-foot chain link fence and then run twenty-five feet, then move over and scale a six-foot solid wall running another twenty-five feet, followed by dragging a 165 pound “body” thirty-two feet and then finally when you’re good and tired you get to run five-hundred yards. Our POPAT testing lasted until lunch. I didn’t know if I’d made it or not. The results would be available that evening.

The rest of the day was spent on defensive tactics to help prepare us for the practical tests beginning the next day.

Twenty-two feet is considered the safety zone for a suspect with a knife. Even when you know he’s going to be coming at you it’s almost impossible to pull your gun and fire at the twenty foot range. We were made to stand with our arms at our sides, with an attacker twenty feet away holding a large rubber knife. As soon as the attacker starts running towards us, we were to draw our guns and fire (this is done by making the bang bang sound). We were all stabbed. Twenty-two feet is not easy either but at that distance we all managed to shoot. There is no room for error.

I said “stabbed” not “killed” for a reason. For the past eight weeks it was drilled into our psyche we would never die. No matter what happened we were to continue fighting. This mind set is what will save your life. People have died from non-life threatening gun shot wounds simply because they knew they’d been shot. The only exception to this rule had been our fight for our guns and the “I died today” letters that were written to family.

That evening we gathered in front of our dorms when we heard the results for POPAT were in. Cadet Clark made the announcement that all but one of us had passed. My heart sank.

“Cadet Chavez, can I speak with you in my room? All the rest of you did a good job, and scores will be posted tomorrow in our classroom.”

I’d passed. I couldn’t believe it. This was the one thing I’d been most worried about. If I was injured and could not complete the final POPAT this score would stand and I would graduate. I passed on my first try.

I waited for Rocco. We cried together. He missed the magic score by twenty-four points. He told me he needed to lose more weight and he was determined to pass. He wouldn’t be given the chance until a week before graduation. If he didn’t pass in week seventeen he would go home. It was heartbreaking. I told him we would work at POPAT every night and I was not graduating without him. We’d made that deal the first week at the academy.

Non-academy personnel began arriving that evening for the Practical tests beginning the following morning. Some would be staying in empty dorm rooms. They were all police officers volunteering their time to help us train. I hoped if I made it through the academy, I would be given the opportunity to come back and help other cadets.

The officers were nice and relaxed. It was strange after weeks of being treated like cadets. One officer told me I didn’t need to call him sir. That was impossible. I now even said, “Thank you sir,” to Starbuck employees during my weekend splurge.

Wednesday morning it began. We were divided into different groups and placed in separate “station” waiting areas. For my first test, I was given a police radio and dispatched to an unidentified man standing on our parade deck. I was told a neighbor called him in because she could see him out her front window and he was making her nervous.

I approached. The man had a large boom box in his hand. I identified myself and asked what he was doing in the area. The man simply stared at me. I asked him for some identification. He lay the boom box down and placed his hand in his pocket. I could see a bulge in the pocket and I asked him to keep his hands where I could see them.

He finally spoke, “Then how you spect me to give you identification?” (He even had the lingo)

I asked if I could pat him down for my safety and explained I just needed to feel the outside of his pockets for a weapon. He complied and I asked him to turn around, keeping his hands where I could see them and spread his legs apart. I stepped forward and performed the pat down. My hands were shaking.

He had a large wallet in his front pocket and I asked if his identification was inside. He told me it was. I stepped back and asked him to retrieve his wallet. He gave me his identification and I told him a neighbor called because he was making her nervous.

He then told me he lived down the block and a friend was picking him up here, on the street corner. The scenario was ended. The two judges came forward and told me I did a good job. I was told I should have noticed the bulge in the pocket earlier but I passed and they liked the way I spoke to my suspect.

This scenario was meant as a non-violent confrontation, but it would have turned aggressive if my demeanor warranted it.

In between scenarios we were sent to our station waiting area. Our dorm meeting room was one of the waiting areas. There was a television, couches and small kitchenette with a microwave and toaster oven. We cadets didn’t normally use this area because the college kids used it as a hang out. We were not allowed to talk about any scenarios we’d finished. So we watched a movie we were too nervous to pay attention to while we waited for our names to be called.

There were two scenarios taking place at this station. I was only able to complete the first before lunch. It was a man with a baseball bat threatening to kill his ex-wife, while he was pounding on her apartment door (an empty dorm room).

I drew my gun upon seeing the bat, and had to talk my suspect down from there. I made an arrest and placed him in handcuffs.

After the completion of the scenario I was asked why I drew my weapon. I explained my suspect had a bat and it was a deadly instrument. I was asked if I would have fired if he came towards me with the bat. I said yes and was given a pass on my second scenario.

It was time for lunch. I was excited but several cadets were upset and said they failed their morning practical tests. I couldn’t ask which ones they’d taken, but it made me more nervous about what might be ahead for me. I thought both my scenarios had been rather easy.

After lunch, there was another domestic violence scenario at the dorm rooms. I passed it with flying colors. I’d finished the day and did not need to perform any remedial training. It had been a good day for me but too many cadets had failed scenarios.

I knew I probably would not be as lucky on the second day.

###

My adventure continues with:  ~ Bad Luck Cadet #15 – You’re Not Dead Until I Say You’re Dead!